Wings of Insanity
by ZoZo1770
Summary: When Tira is shipwrecked onto the island of the infamous Money Pit, she wants nothing better than to escape the place and the lunatic guardian Voldo. But as time passes, it becomes clear that the two are more similar than she ever thought - and when a threat approaches, Tira must decide once and for all where her loyalties lie. Set before SCII.
1. Prologue

Summary: When Tira is shipwrecked onto the island of the infamous Money Pit, she wants nothing better than to escape the place and the lunatic guardian Voldo. But as time passes, it becomes clear that the two are more similar than she ever thought - and when a threat approaches, Tira must decide once and for all where her loyalties lie. Set before SCII.

Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Calibur, blah blah blah. If I did, I'd probably pair Tira up with loads of characters. Nightmare, Siegfried, Voldo, Raphael, Kilik, Sophitia... and Siegfried/Kilik would be a canon couple. XD

I'll just say one thing, it would be a good idea to look up Tira's history and early life on the Soul Calibur Wiki before reading this in case you don't know about it already, otherwise this chapter may not make much sense. Or I may be wrong and you might understand it. Either way, all is explained in the later chapters anyway.

Anyway, enough rambling, I present my first multi-chapter Soul fanfic, enjoy!

* * *

><p>'Eiserne Drossel.'<p>

The sky was black and the wind was harsh and unforgiving as it battered against Eiserne's face, wrapping itself around her like a boa constrictor, threatening to squeeze the life out of her small frame. Gripping her trusty ring blade in her freezing fingers, she stepped forwards, away from the crowd of the hundred or so assassins, feeling her vibrant, teal hair whip against her porcelain skin. She knelt down, half-closing her eyes as she turned her gaze towards the muddy ground.

'Yes?'

She felt heavy drops of water attack her like bullets from above. It had started to rain heavily. Yet still she knelt, unmoving, waiting her command.

'Orders from our leader Albrecht have come through. A pirate. His name is Maxi.'

That was all the information she was given. And all she needed to go by.

The Iron Thrush stood up unquestioningly, an excited smile dancing across her green lips. A _pirate_? This would be fun. She had never assassinated a pirate before. She had better do it brilliantly the first time round, then; her leader would be proud of her for sure!

'Of course,' she giggled, bowing, before letting her purple eyes meet the lieutenant's cold, grey ones. Why did he always look so pained all the time? He was only in his thirties, yet he had lines across his face and he rarely smiled. How unhappy he must be.

'You may go.'

That was it. No other information, not even a word to say 'get it over with quickly and then come back for your next assignment'. Nothing.

Eiserne was free as a bird. She _was_ a bird. So she was free to take however long she liked, right?

She walked away grinning, her boots making a sickly squelching noise as they sank into the mud. Her bouncy walk turned into a skip as she thought about what this Maxi might look like. Was he a handsome pirate? What was his hair like – straight, curly, black, blonde – maybe even blue like hers? And his eyes? Were _they_ an unusual colour, too? Maybe he might be a fan of bright colours like her, so she wouldn't feel like the only one.

Not that she cared what the others thought of her. They were all boring, dressed in the traditional dull brown Bird of Passage colours. Why be boring when you could have _colour_? And anyway, it didn't matter what colours Maxi wore, for Eiserne would kill him nevertheless. That way, even if he _did_ wear boring colours like grey and brown and black, he would end up being painted in the most beautiful colour of all – the sinister, sexy shade of crimson.

She giggled excitedly, swinging her weapon around her slim body as her skip turned into a dance. This was what she loved about her fighting style – it was no _ordinary_ fighting style. No, it was designed to mesmerise opponents and lure them into its web with its beauty.

Eiserne and her blade would dance together – a graceful waltz, yet a deadly tango at the same time. It was a fantastic performance for her opponent, one that would no doubt entertain them right up to their death, which served as a grand finale, involving the audience themselves. How fun it was to perform! How happy and alive she felt when she –

Eiserne was jolted out of her thoughts when a blinding flash of light lit up the sky. The rain stopped as suddenly as it had begun and the wind dropped. She stopped in her tracks, as did the other assassins around her, and focused her gaze on the light, which, she noticed, had shot upwards from somewhere in the distance. She squinted a little as the light seemed to be about to reach for her and gouge her eyes out of their sockets, it was so bright. After a few seconds it disappeared again, and everyone, every_thing_, was completely still. Unmoving. Like statues.

Until a manic scream from behind her broke the deathly silence.

Eiserne's eyes were drawn to the leader of the Bird of Passage, staggering towards her from his tent, laughing madly.

Finally, someone who was as happy as her and wasn't afraid to show it!

Wait…

Albrecht's grey slacks were covered in mud and one of his shoes had fallen off, his feet sinking further and further into the ground which seemed to be swallowing him up as he fell to his knees, giggling manically, his green eyes wide as he shook with laughter. He raised a sweaty, trembling hand as he wiped tears of mirth from his gaunt cheeks.

He was so happy he was _crying_? Eiserne didn't understand…

He was almost _too_ happy… what had started it?

The other assassins were slowly edging away from him, wide eyed. What had caused his sudden change of attitude? He was usually such a calm, emotionless, stoic man – why had he changed? Yes, he was laughing, but… it wasn't real.

_The man had lost his mind._

Eiserne suddenly walked calmly towards her leader. She did not know why she was doing it. Why was she? He had gone completely insane! Yet she felt strangely… _attracted_ to him.

When she was within reach of him, however, he suddenly grabbed her collar, causing her to flinch and wrench away from his grasp, leaving him with a fistful of spiky green feathers which he threw impatiently onto the ground.

Her leader suddenly jumped to his feet and sprinted towards the lieutenant that had just given the orders. Seizing him by his thin shoulders, he shook him whilst mumbling something incoherent into his ear, half falling onto him as he struggled to keep his balance.

After a minute he sank to his knees again, hissing with laughter, almost pulling the lieutenant down with him. The lieutenant's eyes were wide with a mixture of shock and… concentration? Puzzlement? Fear? Eiserne did not know, for it was a while since he had shown any kind of emotion.

'Cancel… he says cancel the assignments…'

Whispers of confusion were heard around the leader and his lieutenant. Cancel the assignments? That couldn't be right…

'Yes – yes, I – no – no, that wasn't what I said you fool!' screeched Albrecht, smiling madly, 'Wait, in fact, you're right, how clever! I –'

He suddenly stopped and slowly stood up again, his eyes raking across the scene around him, before hurtling forwards, screaming loudly, arms flailing about, into a gaggle of young female assassins who had not moved from the edge of the crowd in front of Eiserne. The six or so girls screamed and ran backwards into the crowd, knocking the other assassins into each other. Albrecht pushed further and further into the mass of people, creating more and more chaos until eventually they moving started moving backwards, getting increasingly louder as they did so. Slowly at first, but soon they were jogging, then running away from the leader who had gone mad, heading straight for Eiserne. Screams and shouts of panic and confusion shot out from various places throughout the swarm of people as they hurtled closer and closer to the Iron Thrush.

'He's gone crazy!'

'The assignments – what do we –'

'What happened to him? I don't understand –'

Eiserne could just make out the lieutenant on the other side of the crowd, attempting to regain control, before she was enveloped by the huge stampede of people. It felt as though she were being swallowed up by a giant, raging beast, she couldn't breathe – everyone was pressing closer and closer to her as they ran as far and as fast as they could, seemingly determined to escape their lunatic leader. She had no choice but to keep up with the mass of panicking people and their shining blades to avoid losing her footing and being trampled on, but it was difficult. Weapons were being dropped, people were tripping over each other in an effort to run to – to – where exactly were they heading?

It didn't matter, she didn't care, there was no time to dwell on such trivial questions, for now Eiserne felt the number of people around her get larger, and it was evident that the assassins who hadn't witnessed the events that had just taken place had come out from their quarters to join the stampede. All Eiserne could focus on was staying alive among the rush of people. She was going to suffocate if they didn't stop soon, why weren't they stopping?

Faint calls could still be heard from far behind them, trying to keep order. Eiserne heard something about the missions, but could not make it out among the screams of the terror-stricken group.

_Why – why weren't they stopping? Where were they heading?_

Eiserne ran as fast as she could, half-tempted to cut down the panicking assassins closest to her just so she could get some air. She would do it soon, if this carried on. She was starting to get annoyed.

The air was closing in, like a cobra, strangling her – she struggled to breathe –

She had no choice.

Gripping her ring blade in her sweaty palm, she proceeded to swing it at the nearest screaming assassin. Taking a deep breath, she counted. Three – two – one –

_No._

What?

_You can't._

Who said –

_Not after last time._

But last time – _last time _– last time was different!

_Was it? Was it really?_

Yes – yes – she was forced to do it last time; at least this time she was choosing herself –

_Choosing to cut down your friends?_

It hadn't stopped her before.

_Those whom you call _family?

No – no – not –

_Yes, Eiserne, do you remember now? Remember what they made you do to _her? _How can you even _bear_ to think about killing again after what happened?_

Don't – what was –

_After what happened to you?_

No – stop –

_To that twisted, broken mind of yours?_

No –

_Do you remember?_

The crowd was starting to disperse now, and Eiserne felt the ground get softer beneath her feet.

_Do you?_

Her hand holding the blade hadn't moved. Those around her were still alive.

_Do you…?_

As the assassins moved away, Eiserne realised that they had travelled to the forest outside the Bird of Passage hideout. She could breathe again and welcomed the fresh air as it danced around her, half-closing her eyes as she headed for the nearest tree to stop and rest against it.

Eiserne leaned one arm against the hard, musky bark of a grand oak tree, running her fingers over the wood. She let her ring blade slip from her hand and fall to the soft, leafy ground with a dull thud as she sank to her knees, tiredness starting to consume her. She wearily raised her head and, looking around, she saw that she had ended up deep in the heart of the cold, dark forest. The other assassins were slowly disappearing from view among the trees, slipping away like liquid. Her eyelids slid shut and she felt herself fall sideways onto the strangely comforting ground.

Maybe she should just forget about her assignment. That had been her leader's last order, anyway.

There was no point in going back.

It was obvious.

The Bird of Passage had fallen.

* * *

><p>How was that? All reviews and critiques welcomed! :D<p> 


	2. Memories of Crimson

Next chapter is here~!

I have a question, though: This fic doesn't seem to be appearing in the search results, does anyone know why that is? *confused*

And also, now that the Easter Holidays are finally here I have four weeks to update more regularly! (Inbetween revision for end of year exams and GCSEs, noooo!)

Anyway, enjoy! XD

* * *

><p>Tira jumped almost lazily from roof to roof, sighing contentedly as she felt the wind cascade around her. It was a grey, breezy day, the bare, lifeless trees swaying half-heartedly as the small gusts of wind pushed them around.<p>

She had been wondering aimlessly for weeks now – no, _months –_ looking for… _something_ to do.

Someone else to kill.

Ever since deserting, well, _murdering_, her so-called adoptive family, she had gone on a killing rampage. The more she massacred, the more she didn't want to stop. She loved the thrill of it, the excitement she felt when she performed a dance with her beautiful blade! She would slice off a limb, slash a throat and stab a heart, but it was never enough.

She wanted _more_.

She wanted to hear the agony-filled screams of her victims, watch them drop, trembling, to the hard, unforgiving ground as their deep crimson blood pooled around them, invading everywhere, every_thing_. She loved it especially when she had defeated a particularly strong opponent, bringing them to their knees. It was on occasions such as this when she would prolong their torment just a little longer for her own amusement, until she had reduced them to a sobbing wreck on the floor, listening to them beg for death.

She _adored_ it when strong, stoic people were completely and utterly _broken_. It made her feel especially good about herself, then, knowing she had managed to annihilate someone of bigger build, or someone who possessed a stronger weapon. Those left at the Bird of Passage would have been proud –

No, _why_ was she thinking about the Bird of Passage? She had promised herself _not_ to, there were too many bad memories. Especially the one where –

_Don't think about it, remember?_

Still, without the Bird of Passage, Tira couldn't help but feel a little… lost. Yes, it was a thing of the past, and now that her last guardians were dead she had no-one to look up to. She _needed_ a master, someone to tell her what to do, to guide her. She didn't know what to do with herself otherwise.

But one thing was for certain: she needed to kill.

Why had she killed her 'family' again?

Ah, yes. They had scolded her for releasing the youngest daughter's pet bird. Stupid girl, why had she kept it locked up in the first place? Birds were meant to be free! Not kept in captivity in a tiny, cramped little _cage_, for God's sake! The poor thing was all alone with no room to move about; Tira had done the kindest thing by setting it free!

But _no_, the cold, heartless morons didn't think of it in the same way as Tira did. They were quite happy to sit back and watch this poor, defenceless little bird suffer all on its own. Tira would often sit beside the cage, just to keep the small bird company for a while. She would study it for hours, just staring in wonder at the delicate little feathers and the neatly folded wings and the beady eyes, as black as death itself, glaring back at her. The creature seemed to silently plead her to release it into the free, open air every time she came close. Tira had soon memorised every single little detail on the bird – the electric blue colour it had, so bright in the middle of the dull, dreary cage; the sudden burst of colour at the end of its long tail; its tiny grey talons – and after making sure she remembered exactly what it looked like, she did it.

She strode into the garden one summer's day, the small silver cage in her hand and she just… did it. She opened the cage and the bird flew straight out! What a pleasing sight to behold.

Her family didn't seem to think so, though. The youngest daughter was in tears and Tira had been shouted at. Couldn't they _see_ that the bird was practically _begging_ to be released? She hadn't _meant_ to upset anyone; she just thought it was for the best! Why couldn't they see that?

Tira stopped in her tracks as she remembered that day. Perching on the edge of a slanting rooftop, she looked down at the blade which had committed all those crimes.

Eiserne Drossel.

_Iron Thrush_.

The faithful blade that had been with her ever since she could remember.

The blade that had slaughtered those closest to her.

Even though her adoptive family had tried to take her trusty weapon away from her, they could never be separated.

Eiserne was a _part_ of Tira. It – no, _she_ – always had been.

She always _would_ be.

Tira closed her eyes, reliving the memories of the day she had released the bird. What exactly had happened afterwards again…?

Ah, yes.

Her overprotective foster parents had shouted and argued with her… her 'little sister' had cried just like the spoilt _brat_ she was… Eiserne was glinting in the sunlight, _begging_ to be picked up and used…

And… and it had just… _happened_.

Tira had picked up her blade, swung it around with deadly aim and precision, and cut her family to ribbons.

The youngest daughter had been the first to go. An arm here, a leg there, a cruel, fierce slice across her chest and she crumpled to the ground, the last of her glorious screams still echoing in Tira's ears.

Next had been the eldest daughter, who had been watching Tira get scolded from the corner of the room with a stupid little smirk on her stringy face – a snooty, rude little _bitch_. They had never liked each other, and Tira did not hold back when ripping her apart limb from limb, her blood splattering all over the cream walls.

Afterwards had been the son, who was slightly younger than Tira. She had taken one look at him as he rushed to his dead siblings' sides and brought Eiserne down upon his neck without hesitation, severing his head from his body.

The parents had been watching in horror as their children had been annihilated in front of them. The mother had screamed and collapsed into a sobbing, shaking _wreck_ whilst her husband had knelt down immediately to try to comfort her, his own tears spilling down his cheeks.

Another swing of her blade and Tira watched as the two adults dropped like stones at her feet, a pool of crimson surrounding them, their bodies mangled and bloody.

Laughing, Tira had raked her eyes over the remains of her family, bringing Eiserne up to her lips and licking some of the blood off the blade, before turning on her heel and exiting the house, the coppery taste of blood still lingering on her tongue.

It was time to leave this place, leave and hunt someone else down.

She needed _more_.

And that was what had started this aimless journey to… _nowhere_. Yes, Tira liked having freedom, but too much of it was… well, _boring_, to be honest.

She loved to murder; it was what she lived for! But it was worth nothing if she wasn't making anyone else happy by doing it.

At least at the Bird of Passage she knew that people had appreciated her efforts.

Tira opened her eyes and lay on her back on the roof, gazing up at the dull, grey sky above her head. It was like a never-ending sheet of _tediousness_, stretching out in all directions. Beneath her, she could feel the cold, jagged tiles of the roof scraping lightly against her back, through the thin material of her green and purple clothing.

Sighing, she mentally scolded herself for thinking once again about the damned Bird of Passage. It was _gone_; she had deserted what was left of it! She had been _freed_, yet it was almost as if she was wistfully thinking about returning.

Returning to what? Slavery and servitude?

_Never._

Wait, no. That was what she _wanted_… wasn't it?

She had to admit; at least she wasn't alone there. She had grown up around people who respected her for who she was, at least. Now, wherever she went, people would look at her strangely, shield their children from her, walk in the opposite direction whenever she approached.

Was it her colours? Or her personality? What _was_ it?

But it didn't matter.

They all ended up _dead_, anyway.

Tira sighed. What had been her last order again?

Not that she cared.

Did she?

Well, she didn't have anything _else_ to do, and killing random people was so fun anymore… so what was it? Who had she been last ordered to assassinate?

A… a pirate, was it? Yes… but what was his name?

Makaio, no, Makar… no, wait, M – M – damn, what was it? Come _on_, what was wrong with her? She had a fantastic memory, she never forgot a name! Yet, for some reason…

Mannes? Malak?

No…

Manus?

No.

Damn it, Tira, _think!_

Makoto.

Wrong again. Come on, come on, come _on… _a piraty name! Come on, _think_!

Why was she so _useless_ at remembering a bloody name all of a sudden? Just one small name and she couldn't even remember _that!_ Come one, think, _anything!_

Wait, what if her memory _was_ failing her? It _had_ been a few years since she last heard the name, after all…

No, that couldn't be, she was too young for that! Her memory was perfect. Stop thinking about this – no, _think_ about the name, just not her memory – no – what _was _she saying?

Tira stared intently in front of her. At nothing in particular.

Just… just calm down. Come, now. Breathe.

And think.

Malachi.

Shit, wrong again.

Maximus. Maksym. M – Ma–

_Maxi_.

Tira sat up. A smile danced across her full, purple lips. _That_ had been the name.

She jumped up, suddenly full of energy that she didn't have a few moments ago.

At least she had something to do now! _Something_ to pass the time, at least. Some sort of order to follow. Even if it had been given by a madman.

The madman had once been her leader, after all. She could not forget that. And anyway, the order _had_ been issued while Albrecht had still been in his right mind, so _technically_… the order was still valid, right?

There was no time to waste. She had another mission to complete. Somewhere else to go.

Someone else to kill.

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed that! Next step: click the review button. XD<p> 


	3. Blades and Bloodshed

Hello minasan, sorry for the wait! But here's a longer chapter to make up for it, plenty of action in this one! :D

* * *

><p>It had been days.<p>

And Tira still didn't have a clue where to start. She really _was_ losing her touch. Where did pirates usually reside?

On a ship, _duh_. Stupid question.

Okay, what _nationality _was Maxi?

Another stupid question – she didn't know!

_Maxi_… it didn't sound familiar at all. It had to be a foreign name. An uncommon one, too.

Ignoring the stares she got, Tira sat down on the dirty, dusty ground and surveyed the town around her. There wasn't much to it, just small, shabby wooden houses dotted here and there, poor people shuffling about with baskets of goods, one or two leading a goat through the streets. The grass was brown and a sheet of clouds stretched out in all directions.

Oh, how _tempting_ it was for Tira to unleash her frustration and just kill everyone in sight. But _no_, she had a job to do.

Gods, she hated Germany. It was always so cold and wet and _dull_. Yet try as she might, she never seemed to be able to escape it. Maybe this was her chance? She couldn't stay here forever; it would bore her to death!

So… _where to start?_

Lying back on the ground (and receiving more strange stares), Tira thought. Should she just ask around until she found someone that knew of Maxi and go from there, or should she go it alone and hope for the best?

Hmm… where was the nearest harbour? After all, that was where she had the best chance of finding information, right?

Time to swallow her pride and ask someone.

Standing up, Tira caught sight of a man wearing a green robe standing by a nearby tree. He had a little girl next to him – presumably his daughter – so he must friendly, mustn't he? Tira got closer, doing her best to hide Eiserne behind her narrow back to as not to give them the wrong impression. When she was only a few metres away, the man looked up. He had piercing green eyes and a small goatee, and he looked quite stern, contrary to what Tira had believed.

'Uh – excuse –'

'What d'ya want?' The man interrupted defensively, putting an arm protectively round his daughter, who was watching Tira with wide eyes.

How rude! It was all Tira could do to not slice his head off his shoulders there and then.

'I was wondering if… you could tell me where the nearest harbour is.'

The man snorted. 'A _harbour_? Ya don't look like much of a sailor!'

Tira forced herself to smile and batted her long eyelashes. 'I'm… looking for someone. A pirate – Maxi. Heard of him?'

'Humph. An' what would ya want with a rotten _scumbag_ like him?'

'So, you _have_ heard of him.'

The man didn't answer. Tira was growing impatient.

'Are you gonna tell me what I want to know, or not?'

The man sighed. 'Fine. Simply go north to find the harbour; even the likes of _you_ should be able to find it. As for the _pirate_…'

'Yes…?' Tira prompted, ignoring the fact that he had just insulted her.

'He's Japanese. An', funnily enough, ya seem to have come at the right time, 'cause a ship should be arriving from Japan any day now… that's all I know.'

He looked suspicious.

'All you know,' Tira replied, 'or all you're willing to _tell_ me? Because you were quite confident in calling him a rotten scumbag just now, so you must know _something_!'

This man was starting to irritate Tira. Eiserne seemed to be calling her…

'Look, that's all you're gonna get, okay?' The man growled, 'ya might want to keep your nose out of other people's business! Now just stay away from me!'

Tira looked down at the girl, who in turn gave her a nervous apologetic smile before avoiding her eye. Tira threw a filthy look at the man and started to stalk away. Any more of this and she would have murdered him on the spot.

Just as she was moving away from him, however, she heard him mutter under his breath.

'Stupid freak.'

Tira's rage took over.

Swinging Eiserne round her body, Tira sliced the man viciously across the shoulders before skewering his chest. Blood exploded from his wounds and Tira heard him scream in pain as he fell to his knees.

She aimed a punch at his jaw.

How _dare_ he call her a freak?

She clawed at his cheek, her nails sinking deep into his flesh.

He would pay for what he had just said!

Reaching for his throat, she pulled him up until his face was level with hers. His eyes were filled with agony and hatred as he glared at her, his breathing uneven as he tried to speak.

'You… bitch – just you wait –'

'SHUT UP!' Tira yelled lividly. She brought his face close to hers, until they were just inches away from each other. 'I only wanted you to help me, and – and _this_ is what I get? You're pathetic!'

Carelessly dropping the man back on the ground, Tira angrily brought her blade crashing down on his neck before brutally kicking his mangled body aside.

'DADDY!' Screamed the girl, running to his side. Tira rounded on her next. Grinning, she threw her up in the air and effortlessly sliced her up like meat. Her remains rained down on the ground, spewing crimson, and it was then that Tira became aware of the civilians around her watching, horrified by what they had just witnessed.

Their expressions were _priceless_.

But Tira couldn't stop here, oh no.

Let's see. Who's next?

'She's a psycho! What is she _doing_, roaming freely around the streets?'

'Did you see that, she just – she just killed a father and his daughter! The crazy –'

'Are you going to just stand there shouting, or are you going to run before I come and get you?' Smiled Tira, her eyes glinting.

'She's mad. She absolutely –'

Lunging forwards, Tira aimed her weapon at a middle aged woman standing at the edge of the small crowd that had formed just moments ago. Her greying hair suddenly turned scarlet with blood as the tip of the blade connected with her eyes, turning them into a gloopy red mess. Her screams pierced the cold air and she collapsed, clawing at her face.

'My eyes! My – I can't see – I –'

Tira giggled at the whimpering woman and leapt on top of her, driving Eiserne through her neck as blood gushed everywhere. Many of the other people around Tira were now running away screaming, locking themselves away in their houses, hiding their children.

Aw, why were they running? This was fun!

And they weren't going _anywhere_.

Tira dashed towards the nearest couple of people and slashed their throats before dancing her way to a scrawny boy who had been cowering in a corner and violently ramming Eiserne into his abdomen.

Tossing his body aside, Tira suddenly felt someone roughly grab her from behind. She twisted around in irritation and found herself face to face with a large, muscular man with glittering brown eyes. He was wearing brown slacks, a blue top and boots, and he was carrying an axe in his left hand.

'You _bitch_, what the hell are you doing?' he snarled, 'you're not escaping this village alive!'

Tira giggled. This was going to be fun.

Ducking out of the way of the oncoming axe, she pranced behind him and leapt onto his back. She felt him rear up underneath her as he struggled to shake her off whilst maintaining his balance. Placing Eiserne round his neck, she proceeded to draw the weapon towards her, severing his neck completely, when he threw her off him, her weapon flying up into the air.

Dammit!

She landed painfully on her back. Out of the corner of her eye, Tira could see a handful of people remaining to watch the battle. The others had fled before they got involved in Tira's little killing spree, but _this _crowd…

To her horror, Tira noticed that they were carrying weapons. Swords axes, rods… how the hell was she going to get out of this one? Eiserne was about ten metres away, and the man who had attacked her was running towards her…

Rolling out of his way, Tira struggled to her feet as he landed just inches away from her, roaring in rage. He swung his axe and it connected with her hip. Tira howled in pain and tore herself away from the weapon. Looking down, she saw that part of her top had been torn away, the remains of the green fabric now intermingled with her own blood which was gushing out of her wound. Gritting her teeth, she stared at the man.

Oh, he was _really _going to pay for that.

Looking wildly around for Eiserne, she spotted her weapon a few metres away from her feet. She dived out of the way of an oncoming hit from the man and grabbed Eiserne, swinging it around her slim body.

Time to perform a dance!

Laughing loudly, she bounded towards the man and swung her blade. It connected with his shoulder and he roared as his sleeve split in half, exposing his tanned skin which was now stained with red. Aiming a kick at his crotch, Tira elbowed him in the face as he collapsed in front of her, wincing in pain.

That was when she noticed the small crowd of people running at her, their weapons raised, hurling insults.

Yay, more fun!

Quickly slashing the man's throat, Tira left him to die and charged towards the people.

Let's see, how many of them were there?

Tira leapt high into the air, watching their faces as they scattered about, trying to pinpoint where she would land.

Six, seven, possibly eight…?

Oh, what did it matter? They would all die lovely, _painful_ deaths, anyway!

Tira landed on a blond, broad-shouldered man, wrapping herself and her weapon around his neck until he started to choke, and then leapt off him. She watched him as he coughed, massaging his neck, slightly disorientated. He had dropped his sword in an effort to fight Tira off and quickly ran towards it.

But Tira was faster.

Grabbing the sword before he could reach it, Tira lunged forwards, plunging the blade through his heart. The man let out an agonised scream before crashing to the ground, unmoving.

Tira spun around and ran forwards towards a group of three other men, all holding nunchaku, spinning Eiserne around her body like a hula hoop. One or two managed to slice her skin with their weapons but before long they had all collapsed around her, their bodies now nothing more than mutilated lumps of flesh.

Now, who was next?

Suddenly, Tira heard a yell of rage come from her left. Darting around quickly, she caught sight of a dagger hurtling towards her. She managed to quickly dodge as it soared past her head, taking a few strands of her turquoise hair with it, but lost her balance and fell to the ground. Thankfully, Eiserne didn't slip out of her hand this time. Leaping back up again, she looked in the direction of where the dagger had come from. A bulky middle-aged man with red hair, flanked by two younger-looking men, was charging in her direction, holding a sword in one hand and an axe in the other.

How many flipping weapons could one man _have_?

Oh, well. The more the merrier, right?

Tira dashed forwards, a mad grin plastered on her face. The man swung the sword at her but she ducked and tripped him over, landing on top of his chest. The sword flew out of his hand but he thrust the axe at her face, doing his very best to carve it off. Tira brought her blade up to prevent the axe from coming into contact with her skin, pushing him roughly away from her. Grabbing the axe, she twisted it out of his grip and smashed it on his face, his skull splitting open, blood pouring out of his wounds.

All of a sudden, Tira felt someone seize her roughly and pull her up. Dropping Eiserne in surprise, Tira looked round to see one of the last two men twisting her arms painfully behind her back. She struggled, swearing under her breath.

_How _could she have let this happen?

Looking up, Tira saw the second man pick up the fallen dagger from the ground, his arm drawn back, aiming for her throat.

Shit, what did she do now?

Ah, hang on a minute. If she couldn't use her arms, she'd just have to use her legs, yes?

Tira brought her leg up behind her and kicked the man holding her in the crotch, hard. He released her and crashed to the ground in agony as she jumped out of the way of the oncoming dagger. However this time she wasn't so lucky and it sank into her thigh. She landed on her knees next to her weapon, tears of pain welling up in her purple eyes.

Oh, he was going to die a _very _painful death now.

Determination and anger rippling through her, Tira picked up her weapon and charged full force at the man who had thrown the dagger, which was still embedded in her leg. She could feel the blood pooling around the small knife as she ran, her own weapon raised high. The man, who had been weaponless, picked up the axe from the red-haired man's body, using it as a shield as Tira rammed Eiserne at his throat. Knocking her backwards, the man sliced her abdomen, ripping more of the fabric in two. Blood spurted from the huge gash as Tira groaned in pain, clutching her stomach. Furious, she dived at the man, gripping his legs and tripping him over. He dropped the axe, which Tira kicked away, and landed on his front. Tira climbed on his back, ensuring he couldn't move, and clasped his chin, lifting his head up so that his throat was exposed. She chuckled menacingly in his ear before slowly slicing his throat, listening to the rasping, choking noises he made as his life's blood flowed out of him. Letting go of his head, Tira made her way back over to where the other man was lying, face down, still moaning in pain from where she had kicked him.

God, these men were so _weak_!

Tira turned him roughly over and gazed into his eyes, which were now widening in fear, before bringing Eiserne violently down on his neck, severing his head from his shoulders as the last of his terrified scream filled the air.

Standing up, Tira looked around. There were no more people around her. They had all either fled or had been killed.

Aw, was that _it_? She had just been getting started!

She sighed. Glancing down at her thigh, she dropped Eiserne on the blood-stained ground and slowly, painfully, pulled the dagger out of her body. Throwing it carelessly over her shoulder, she sat down and inspected her wounds. Apart from her abdomen and her thigh, there was nothing _really_ wrong with her. A few cuts and bruises which she hadn't noticed before, but nothing else. Ripping off the hanging pieces of fabric that remained on her torso, she used them to try and staunch her wounds, mopping up some of the blood. Within a few seconds, however, the blood flow had increased.

Oh, screw it. It was getting late. The sun was beginning to disappear below the horizon and Tira had to hurry up and find the harbour before it got too dark or she missed the ship.

Wait, what if the man had just been messing around? What if he had told her lies simply to get her away from him, and there was no harbour at all?

She might have killed all these people for _nothing_.

No, he had seemed truthful enough; even he _was_ an idiot with all the manners of a blunt axe.

Sighing to herself, Tira stood up, wincing as the pain in her body increased. She hadn't noticed it as much before, but now that she had calmed down…

'Come on, Eiserne,' she said tiredly, picking up her faithful ring blade, which was now stained with half-dry blood. 'Maxi, here we come.'

* * *

><p>Liked this chapter? All comments welcomed! :)<p> 


	4. Aboard Death's Vessel

Chapter 3 is here! Sorry for the delay, mina! I have had heaps of revision. DX But anyway, here it is, enjoy!

**EDIT 21/4/2012: I won't be updating as frequently as I'd like to, because I have tons of revision to concentrate on, but hopefully over the next few weeks I'll get something up. If worst comes to the worst, I'll have to wait about six weeks for half term before I can update. But I'm NOT abandoning this story, though, so thank you all for being patient with me!**

* * *

><p>Tira emerged quietly from the trees. She had been walking for hours now, weapon in hand, through an eerie forest, and it had gotten dark. The moon was a glowing ball of snow in the middle of the starless sky, and the trees' branches stuck out like ancient, withered hands, casting evil shadows across the moonlit ground. All sorts of nocturnal creatures had come out – the hoot of an owl here, the scuttle of a rat there - and Tira's body was aching. Her wounds had closed up, but she and her blade were still covered in dried blood. There was no time to clear it up, however – she <em>had<em> to get to the harbour before it was too late.

And, at last, here she was.

Tira scanned the area in front of her, inhaling the fresh, salty air. The pebbles on the beach were harsh and jagged and the sea was surprisingly calm, and, in front of her, stretching out for metres and metres on end, Tira could just make out the port itself, a few ships drifting silently at one end.

Now all there was to do was wait.

Trudging down to a nearby quay, she perched on the edge of it, laying Eiserne carefully on the ground and letting her eyes slide shut. Oh, how she just wanted to fall straight asleep there and then!

But _no_. Sleep was for the weak, wasn't it? And Tira was anything _but_ weak! She would never forgive herself if the boat had come and gone and she had missed it because she carelessly let her tiredness take over her.

Wait a minute.

Tira's eyes snapped open. What if… what if the ship that was supposed to be arriving was the wrong ship? After all, the man hadn't made it clear whether or not Maxi would be on that particular ship – it could be anybody! And anyway, what was the likelihood of her finding Maxi straight away? Tira would have to be pretty damn lucky if the first boat she came upon just _happened_ to lead her to Maxi!

Shit. She should have thought about this.

Although…

Did she have a better idea? _Really_? And she had to start somewhere, right?

Also, even if Maxi wasn't on the ship, it would surely head straight back to Japan, so Tira would be able to find out more information there.

And Tira had _not_ just tired herself out for nothing. She was going to get to Maxi even if it was the last thing she ever did.

Still, it was going to be a_ long _night…

oOo

Tira watched as the sun finally began to rise up over the horizon, casting a glowing line slowly over the sea.

Still no sign of a ship, though.

Damn.

Why wouldn't it just _hurry up_?

Getting up from her sitting position, Tira swung Eiserne around, trying to wake herself up. She imagined a sparring partner in front of her and jumped about, evading his imaginary blows. Slice – a gash here – swoosh – a graze there –

Suddenly, Tira stopped. Something had caught her eye.

Moving closer to the edge of the water, she squinted.

What was that in the distance? Could it be…?

Focusing her eyes harder on the shape, Tira began to make out a mast and… sails?

_The ship!_

Tira grinned. It had come!

Running back to the edge of the forest she had come from, Eiserne slung around her shoulder, she nimbly climbed a vast oak tree and concealed herself from view. Twenty minutes later she watched as the ship reached the dock. It was a huge thing with giant grey sails, and she could see pirates dotted about on the upper deck. Now, which one was Maxi…?

Wait, first she'd have to board the ship. Tira watched closely as more men, this time on horseback, emerged from the edge of the forest beneath her to greet the pirates and, presumably, to help unload the ship. A ladder was thrown over the side of the vessel and the pirates on the deck made their way off the ship, reaching the land on the other side.

Tira squinted. Although she could not hear them speaking, she could make out what they looked like as they drew nearer. They were all wearing clothes that might have been brightly coloured once, but that had clearly been exposed to the weather and the sea and had faded. There were some wearing loose, open shirts, others wearing waistcoats, robes, and they all had a sword or some other weapon attached to their belt. They also looked Asian. This must be the ship the man was talking about.

Now… how to board the ship without them noticing?

Tira could do that, easy! She had been trained in keeping a low profile back at the Bird of Passage, she could move as silently as a ghost.

Climbing silently down from the tree, she walked further in among the trees. The pirates, who, upon closer inspection, seemed to be a little drunk as several were holding bottles of alcohol in their hands, were a good twenty metres away from the ship now, and the native men who had come to greet them had abandoned their horses by the forest and were seemingly trying to decide how best to deal with them.

Perfect distraction.

There was only one problem, of course. Tira would have to refrain from killing anyone. Otherwise how would she escape this country? She knew next to nothing about ships.

In an instant, Tira was out on the beach, her feet making no noise whatsoever on the pebbles as she half ran, half crept towards the ship, all the time keeping an eye on the men.

It was a little risky, exposing herself like this, but what could she do? Come on, now, only a little further…

Before she knew it, Tira had reached the ship. Wasting no time, she headed for the ladder and hauled herself up the ropey brown rungs. When she reached the top, she glanced one final time at the pirates below before jumping over the side of the ship and onto the deck.

Raking her eyes over the area in front of her, Tira saw that there was nothing much to it! Just brown wood, brown ropes and brown masts.

How _boring_.

Gods, how she'd love to paint this whole ship red… but _no_, she couldn't lose her patience again, not after what had happened yesterday.

It had been fun, though, Tira could not deny that.

Anyway, _stop getting distracted_!

Tira looked over the area once again.

_Come on now, be serious_.

She was on the deck, right? In front of her she could see a low wall with stairs around it leading to another, higher part of the ship, with two doors set into the front. Walking towards the rightmost one, she opened it and descended a flight of creaking stairs, going deeper into the heart of the ship. In the dim light, Tira noticed various cracks and holes in the walls.

She sincerely hoped she didn't meet anyone on the way down, or else her cover would be blown. Maybe some of the pirates had stayed on board the ship…?

Tira reached the end of the stairs and walked into a smaller, darker part of the ship. It was so dim she could hardly see a thing – where the hell was the light? No candles or anything?

Suddenly, Tira bashed into something hard. Swearing under her breath, she rubbed her thigh, still sore and bloodied from yesterday's fight. Upon closer inspection, Tira saw that she had collided with a barrel. Taking a step back, she realised that this room was full of barrels and boxes. There was hardly any room to move – but this meant that she could easily keep hidden.

Climbing on top of the barrel she had walked into, Tira slowly, carefully felt her way to the furthest corner of the room, climbing over various objects. It hurt to walk, she noticed, as she still hadn't cleaned herself up since yesterday. And she hadn't realised how tired she was, either, until now.

Tira reached the corner and hopped off the crate she had been standing on into a small gap between it and the wall. It was about a metre and a half wide and was just big enough for Tira to sit herself down comfortably enough on the cold wooden floor.

Nobody would discover her here. Placing Eiserne on the floor so that she was sitting in the middle of her weapon, Tira leaned tiredly against the wall. It wouldn't hurt to rest for a bit, would it?

Closing her purple eyes, Tira slowly drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.

oOo

Tira woke up suddenly when she felt something fall on her leg. A barrel, one of the smaller ones in the room.

What had caused that?

Rubbing her eyes and cursing the barrel, she staggered to her feet, lifted it and threw it across the room in anger. The flipping thing had woken her up!

Wait a minute – staggered? Why did she –?

A sudden unbalanced feeling brought Tira to her senses. As she fell back to the ground again, she realised what was happening.

The room was tilting.

The ship was sinking.

Grabbing Eiserne, Tira felt water pool around her feet. Great, the room was flooding, too. The ship tilted even more, crushing her against the wall, and she watched in horror as the crates and barrels stored in the room came crashing down towards her. Jumping up, she narrowly avoided one as it soared past her head. She climbed up the crumbling mountain of crates, desperate to reach the other side of the room. The exit was only a few metres away now –

Leaping off the current barrel she was on, Tira aimed for the narrow stairs she had come from when she first entered the room. Suddenly, she was thrown forwards as the ship gave another violent jerk, this time tipping the other way. However, instead of landing against the door at the other end, Tira collided with a solid crate blocking the stairway. Looking behind her, she saw the rest of the cargo come back down towards her from the other side of the room.

_Shit._

The ship was tipping at a forty-five degree angle now, and it was only a matter of seconds before the stampede of wood crushed her like a bug. The water was up to her waist, now, too. Gritting her teeth, Tira rammed Eiserne into the crate blocking her way. A few cracks appeared, then a hole, and then –

Tira heard a shattering of glass and wood and the crate split open in front of her, liquid spilling out. The crate had been full of bottles of rum. Bolting through the mess of glass, feeling it cut through her skin which burned as the rum entered her wounds, Tira sliced open the door and landed on the other side of the upper deck of the ship, the cargo and the water tumbling out after her. Tira vaguely noticed that it was a hot, sunny day – well, at least it made up for the shitty situation she was currently in.

'Who is _that_?' shouted a gruff voice from her left.

Damn, she had forgotten about the other pirates on the ship. Next thing she knew, a man wearing a loose, open shirt that showed off a chest full of scars swung a fist at her face. Reeling back from the blow and the tipping of the ship, Tira landed on Eiserne, feeling the blade dig into her arm. Howling in pain, she wrenched her arm free and slashed at the man's neck, killing him instantly.

How stupid _were_ these people? The ship was sinking and they were too busy trying to fight off an intruder instead of saving themselves? The idiots.

Shouts of confusion issued from around Tira and insults were hurled at her from the ten or so pirates that were also on the upper deck.

Suddenly, the ship gave another violent lurch and tipped further. It was now at a steep angle and half of it was submerged in the water. Ignoring the pirates, half of whom had just fallen to their deaths, Tira had no choice but to try and keep her balance and climb _up_ the ship, avoiding falling down. Grabbing hold of the side of the ship, she swung Eiserne around her shoulder and hoisted herself upwards, gripping onto whatever she could find. Looking down, she saw that the remaining three or four pirates were following her, brandishing their weapons.

Didn't they ever give up?

Tira shook Eiserne off her shoulder and used her feet to swing her blade at the pirates, effortlessly slashing their throats and watching as they fell into the water below. One of them, however, managed to evade her blows and grab onto her leg. Tira struggled to shake him off – his grip was strong. She kicked him in the face and he pulled her leg, wrenching her away from the side of the ship. She managed to free herself from his grasp and send him sprawling into the water, but she lost her balance and fell, with her weapon, down into the water as the remains of the ship came collapsing down on top of her.

Tira thrashed around in the water, trying her best to keep her eyes open against the salt as she frantically swam about, searching for her weapon. The water was freezing and her limbs felt as though they were on fire as the salt from the sea entered her wounds.

It was impossible to see anything among the debris that littered the water. She swam back up to the surface for air before diving down again. She was _not_ going anywhere without Eiserne.

All of a sudden, Tira caught a glimpse of silver below her. Diving down as far as she could, she reached out and hooked Eiserne around her elbow then kicked her legs and headed for the surface before she ran out of air.

Taking a deep breath, Tira welcomed the oxygen as it flooded her lungs. Floating around in the water for a few moments, she took in her surroundings.

Nothing but water, water, bits of ship, a dead pirate, more water, another pirate, even more bits of ship, land, a sword –

Wait, what?

Land?

Tira squinted, her vision temporarily damaged by the salt that had entered her eyes.

About fifty metres away, Tira could just make out trees and… sand?

Yes!

_Come on. Just swim. It's not that far._

And so she did.

Gliding swiftly through the water, trailing Eiserne along behind her, Tira swam towards the shore, tired as she was. Her body ached and she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and rest exactly where she was, but she knew she had to keep going.

At last, Tira reached the shore. Although she had only been swimming for a minute, it had felt like an hour. Dragging herself out of the water, she caught a glimpse of what looked like a rainforest at the edge of the beach before exhaustion took over her and she collapsed onto the sand.

* * *

><p>I hope you all liked this chapter, it was a bitch to write. Now, I know absolutely nothing about ships and harbours so forgive me if it wasn't accurate. On saying that, if anyone <em>does <em>know their stuff about ships and would be willing to clarify whether this chapter was correct, I would greatly appreciate it. :)

And, as always, all reviews are welcomed! :D


	5. Wounds and Wealth

Don't kill me! XD I know I haven't updated in over a month, but here it is! The next chapter will have to wait until after exams, I'm afraid, which is about three, four weeks away. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

><p>Brown.<p>

That was all Tira saw when she opened her eyes, which suddenly stung as they made contact with something gritty. Lifting her head, she discovered that her face had been half-buried in damp sand from when she had collapsed before.

What time was it?

Tiredly picking herself up from the ground, Tira shook as much sand as she could free of her battered clothing, discovering with annoyance that it had seeped into her wounds. It would definitely cause infection if she did not treat it soon enough.

It was early in the evening. How long had she been out for?

And what the _hell_ had happened to her?

Ah, that was it. The shipwreck.

Looking around, she realised that she was on a quiet, undisturbed beach… in the middle of _nowhere_. Turning around to face the ocean, Tira saw no other land at all, just pieces of ship and dead pirates floating about the now calm waters. Had Maxi been among them? If he had, he'd definitely be dead. If not, Tira would just have to continue her search –

Oh, who cared about Maxi now? Tira needed to get _off_ this damned island!

There was nothing of the ship left, either, so it was not as though she could search for any remaining supplies. Well, the only choice she really had was to go further into the heart of the island and hope there was someone there.

But what if there wasn't? She'd be stranded alone with nobody to help her and no chance of survival and –

Wait, what on earth was she saying? This was _Tira_; of course she and Eiserne would survive, no matter what the situation!

Eiserne. _Where was she_?

Bugger.

Tira whipped around, scanning the sand around her. Her eyes were sharp, and the sun was still shining, if only just, but… no glint of metal on the ground.

Tira's precious blade was nowhere to be seen!

No – no, come on, now, just think, what did you do with her after you got out of the water?

She couldn't remember.

Damnit!

Tira started pacing, digging up the sand, _why was her ring blade so hard to find_?

She can't have gone far –

But what if she was carried out to sea by the tide?

No, don't think like that, you'll find her –

Tira was stepping into the shallow water now. Come on, any minute you'll find her –

Something sharp sliced Tira's shin.

_Shit, that hurt like hell!_ The salty water didn't help either. _How many injuries had she sustained in the last two days?_

Wait… something sharp…

_Eiserne Drossel!_

Bending down, Tira ran her hands carefully through the surprisingly warm water, searching for what could be her blade. A moment later, her fingers skimmed over something smooth. Gripping it, she pulled it out of the sand in which it had been buried, lifting it up in front of her.

And there she was. Eiserne Drossel. The blood of the pirates had been washed off and there was not a scratch on her.

_Lucky for some_, Tira thought.

Hoisting her blade over her shoulder, Tira turned her back to the ocean. Beyond the vast white beach was a huge… _jungle_. There were masses of enormous trees with leaves almost the size of Tira herself that rustled slightly in the gentle breeze, and the trunks of the trees were so thick they could easily conceal several humans behind them. Occasionally a brightly coloured bird darted out from one of the gigantic trees, which, Tira noticed, also bore strange fruits that she had never seen before.

Tira strode forwards across the soft sand until she reached the edge of the forest. Peering into its green depths, she realised that it would be easy to get lost in such a place. There were no paths for her to follow, no clues as to whether there was any proper shelter anywhere.

She would just have to make her route up as she went along and hope for the best.

As she weaved in and out of the gargantuan trees, taking care not to get tangled up among the thick vines that draped down from them, Tira listened to the pleasant crunching sound the leaves made under her feet.

After ten minutes of walking, she noticed that the ground was slowly starting to slope downwards. Looking behind her, she saw nothing but dense greenery. There was definitely no going back now. Continuing further into the heart of the forest, Tira soon found herself jogging as the ground grew even steeper. Finally, five minutes later, she was sprinting – and she could not seem to stop, for the ground would not allow it.

Suddenly, Tira's foot hit a rogue tree root poking out of the ground, sending her sprawling down the slope. Gripping onto Eiserne, she tried to steady her fall, but to no avail. She tumbled down the slope, trying her best to dodge various trees and rocks on the way down, scraping her body against the ground in the process.

She seemed to fall for minutes on end, how long _was_ this slope? Her body was battered and bruised by now, and her old wounds had surely opened up. Nevertheless, she kept falling.

Tira managed to get a glimpse of what was below, and to her horror she caught sight of a giant, spear-like rock about forty feet away that looked as though it would impale her if she landed on it.

She _had_ to stop herself before she was killed.

Gripping Eiserne tightly, she swung her blade up, desperately trying to hook it around something that would break her fall, but she was moving too quickly.

A root – a branch – anything! There _had_ to be something she could hang on to!

Trying again, Tira only managed to get her ring blade tangled up in some flimsy vines, bringing them down with her as they would not hold her weight.

'Shit', she muttered. She was getting closer and closer to the rock, and it was not looking any less deadly.

Suddenly, she had a brainwave.

Ramming Eiserne into the slope as hard as she could, Tira slowed down her fall and managed to plant her feet on the ground, so that she was jogging down the slope with Eiserne partially buried in the it. As she got closer to the rock, she saw that the end of the slope met the flat forest floor once again only a few meters below it.

When Tira was a few meters away from the rock, she wrenched Eiserne out of the slope and pushed off of it as hard as she could, and in one fluid motion soared over the spike, landing on the leafy ground below it.

She lay there for a few minutes, too exhausted to do anything. When she got up, she found her head spinning. Slowly looking down at her body, she saw that a lot of her skin had been scraped away from her fall, leaving her bleeding badly. She had to find someone before it got any worse.

Tira lifted herself up and, limping slightly, made her way over to a nearby tree with large leaves. Tearing a few of them off, she tried to mop up some of the blood and noticed a trail of crimson from leading from where she had landed to her current spot. She sat down, wrapping a few leaves around her legs as a makeshift bandage. That would have to do for a while.

Suddenly, Tira noticed a faint yet strange aura ahead. Whether it was coming from a person or a weapon, she couldn't tell. However, one thing was for certain – it was definitely… _evil_.

Tira smiled. Maybe things weren't so bad on this island after all. Evil was one of her best friends, it had helped her _survive_. She had to get closer to it!

Getting up, taking care not to injure herself further, Tira picked up Eiserne and hoisted the blade over her shoulder, giggling slightly.

Was it a weapon to slay someone with? Or perhaps someone to kill?

_No_, if there was another person on the island, they would have to help her get off!

She would make sure of that.

What if she killed them afterwards?

Tira grinned. Of course.

She set off in the direction of the aura, feeling it grow stronger as she weaved in and out of the huge trees, viciously slicing any stray leaves or branches that dared get in her way. Occasionally she slashed a bird that had been nestling among the trees, listening as it thumped to the ground, dead.

About twenty minutes later, the aura was noticeably stronger, and Tira approached a gigantic, grassy clearing.

Or at least, it _appeared _to be a clearing.

As Tira ventured closer, she saw, not just a vast amount of grass, but a huge hole – no, a _shaft_, over fifty metres in diameter – dug into the ground. She reached the edge of the pit and peered over the edge.

It was impossibly deep; she could not see the floor. The hexagonal stone walls were lined with flaming torches, and cogs and chambers through which sparkling water fell out into the chasm below. There was also a balcony along the interior of the walls, higher up. On one wall there was a tunnel which was, again, lined with torches, and dominating the space was a vast, web-like structure, the top tier of the overall pit.

Someone _had_ to live here.

And Tira had to get inside. Perhaps whoever inhabited this place could help her?

But what sort of person lived in a _pit_? No, more importantly, _how was she supposed to get inside?_

There were no stairs, no trapdoors, nothing obvious. Tira looked over the edge again, and realised that the only way of getting in was jumping down onto the balcony.

It was only a few meters below, but should she risk it? She was already wounded as she was.

But it wasn't like she had any other choice.

Sighing, she climbed over the grassy ledge and dropped onto the balcony, hissing in pain as her leg collided with the wood. There were three small tunnels lining the wall next to her, but Tira ignored them and clambered over the balcony fencing, landing on the webbed tier in the middle of the shaft.

She looked up. There was no going back now, and the aura was stronger than ever before.

_She had to kill_.

Gripping Eiserne tightly, Tira made her way through the huge tunnel ahead in the wall. It was wide enough for several people and was well-lit compared to the rest of the shaft. After a few minutes, she came to a fork and, without thinking, took the right side. After walking about forty more metres, she came to a large room.

The first thing Tira noticed was the colossal marble statue of a cloaked man sitting on a throne that dominated the back wall. She walked further out into the room and saw that she was standing on a gargantuan platform raised high off of the ground, for piled high were mountains of gold all around the room, in particular at the feet of the statue. The platform was covered in a red and gold carpet and there was a raised bridge ahead of it, with a small ledge below it.

Tira was standing in a treasure vault.

Staring around the magnificent room, Tira laid Eiserne on the ground and leapt quickly to the ledge opposite. She climbed up it and sliced the ropes holding the bridge, lowering it and forming a pathway across the room. As she walked back across the bridge, she noticed a small slip of parchment between the panels of wood. She pulled it out, and noticed it was extremely old. The edges were torn, and the black ink had faded. It had to have been written years ago, for Tira could barely make out the words:

_Voldo,_

_It pains me to ask this of you, but war has been declared on Italy, and I fear the worst. I trust you know what to do – move the fleet and have the pit dug as soon as possible. I am on my way._

_I must also ask one other favour: after the job is done, spare no one. We cannot risk our location being revealed._

_Yours,_

_Vercci._

Turning the note over in her bruised hands, Tira saw illegible handwriting scrawled in the upper left hand corner: '_Yes, master.'_

Voldo, Vercci, who were these men…? Her eyes travelled up to the statue. Could it be one of them?

All of a sudden, Tira was broken out of her thoughts by a silent, cold body pressed up behind hers, one sickly-coloured arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and a long blade snaking around her throat.

* * *

><p>Wow, am I glad this chapter is up. Took forever to write, I was forever putting it off and doing bits and pieces in between revision. Just to say, when I'm describing what Tira sees when she looks over the pit is the Money Pit - Top Tier, Voldo's stage from SCII:<p>

: / / images . wikia soulcalibur / images / c / c9 / Money _ Pit _ Top _ Tier . jpg

And the next room, the main vault, is the Secret Money Pit, Voldo's SCIII stage:

: / / images1 . wikia . nocookie _ _ cb20080519044361 / soulcalibur / images / e / ef / Secret _ Money _ Pit . jpg

All reviews welcome! :D


	6. The Pit Guardian

Summer is finally here~! Sooo, that means I'll be updating much more frequently. Sorry for the long wait guys, I hope this chapter makes up for it. :D

* * *

><p>Dropping the note, Tira froze, the blade a few inches away from her throat. Daring to look down, she saw it was a three-bladed weapon – an Indian katar, perhaps?<p>

She eyed Eiserne, which was on the ground a few meters away when she had laid it down before. If only she could reach her weapon…

The arm around her waist pulled her even closer, and she heard a low hiss issue from behind. Who – or what – was this creature? Tira was getting quite unnerved now, and she could feel herself trembling slightly, her heart beating like a drum.

Wait – what was this? Fear? Tira _never_ showed fear? She was fear_less_. She always had been.

This was merely another opponent – another toy she could play with. How fun!

However, a second thought sprang to mind a moment later. What if this person inhabited this pit, and was the only one who could help her? She couldn't kill him – if it _was _a 'him' – just yet.

Either way, she needed to escape his grip.

She aimed a kick at her captor's crotch only to find that her foot came into contact with something hard made of metal. What was he _wearing_? However, another hiss meant that she had loosened his grasp slightly. Acting on instinct, she wrenched his arm away from her neck and twisted around before directing a swift uppercut to his face, sending him flying.

She quickly grabbed Eiserne and, with her weapon in her hands, took a good look at the inhabitant of this pit.

She was staring at a tall man dressed in tight-fitting clothing, if it could even be called that. He had an absurd dress sense, but then again, Tira realised looking down at her outfit, hers was no better. He was wearing a translucent purple suit which showed his lean, toned stomach, and white wrappings covered his legs and chest. Looking down, Tira saw what she had kicked before. Between his legs was a large, gold codpiece, and beneath the rest of the clothing, Tira noticed greyish skin, with strong muscles and protruding veins. He wore gold boots – one higher that the other, Tira noticed – and attached to his arms were a pair of fearsome, silver and gold katar.

It was not this that surprised Tira, however, as she was used to seeing odd costumes. What startled her was the elaborate way his face was covered – the same white wrappings – but they acted as both a blindfold and a gag.

Why?

She had no time to ponder, however, as the man sprang towards her at breakneck speed, his body a bullet. Tira barely had time to evade the blow, and his weapon caught the side of her shoulder.

This man was _good_.

Losing her balance, Tira fell to her knees, Eiserne once again flying out her hands. She felt a large weight on her back and realised that the man had her trapped underneath him.

That was when she felt a searing pain across her back.

Yelping in pain, Tira writhed underneath her opponent until she was facing him, scraping her back on the carpet in the process. He had sliced her with those wretched weapons of his!

She saw both his katar cut through the air towards her throat, and she instinctively grabbed his wrists, trying to direct his weapons away from her neck. A few seconds later, Tira noticed that the man's legs were planted on the floor either side of her to keep his balance, and before she could think she had kneed him in the stomach, causing him to emit a low groan in pain.

She roughly turned him over so that she was resting on top of his chest, trapping his arms with her knees so he could not harm her with his weapons.

Suddenly, Tira once again became aware of the evil aura in the room. It seemed to invade her body, persuading her to obey it.

She closed her fingers around the man's throat and squeezed hard.

Yet another hiss came from beneath the man's gag as he thrashed around underneath her, his face slowly turning blue.

_You can't._

Tira snorted. And why is that?

_He might be your only chance of getting off this island, you idiot!_ _You can't kill him yet!_

Before she realised what she was doing, Tira sprang off of the man and ran towards Eiserne, grabbing the blade and hoisting it around her slim frame.

She spun around and saw that the man had already gotten to his feet and was charging towards her.

What could she do now? He was impossibly strong and fast, there was no way she'd be able to fend off his attacks a second time.

She did the only thing she could think of and sprinted towards the entrance of the room.

Cowardly, yes, but if she stayed here a moment longer she'd be beaten by this man… or _monster_.

She could sense the man following her and sped up, running like the wind back through the tunnel through which she came. She soon came to the fork she had come across before. She was currently on the right hand side, yes? And there was no way of escaping via the path when the two sides met, so there was only one other choice – the left hand path.

Scrambling around the corner, Tira ran through the tunnel, which seemed to slope upwards the further she went, causing the ceiling to get lower. The man was surely still pursuing her, and she was getting slightly nervous now.

About half a minute later, Tira had to stoop down to avoid bashing her head on the stone ceiling, and she had to resort to almost crawling quickly rather than running.

Suddenly, she collided into something solid.

She had come to a dead end.

_Bugger._

What the hell did she do now? She couldn't go back the way she had come, for she would only run into the man again!

Furious, she sliced at the wall, jamming Eiserne into it in the hope that it would somehow collapse, but to no avail. She was getting frustrated now, and battered the wall with her weapon even harder.

After about ten seconds of this, Tira mustered all of the strength left in her tired, bloodied body and swung her ring blade around her, smashing at every centimetre of wall and floor and ceiling she could get to. Come on, there _had_ to be a way out, and soon, or she'd be found and –

Suddenly, Tira heard something scrape above her. Looking up, she cautiously placed her hands on the ceiling and pushed.

A large tile rattled and came loose.

Could it be…?

Pushing as hard as she could, Tira dislodged the tile until she saw a thin line of light come from one side of it, causing a line of dust to be visible inside the tunnel.

Daylight?

She had found a secret opening!

Jamming herself up against the ceiling, she pushed harder until the tile was standing vertically. Letting it fall out onto the ground outside, Tira climbed out of the tunnel, through the opening just wide enough to fit her and her weapon, out into the open air.

Looking around, she saw she was back in the clearing, and the huge pit which she had climbed down before was about sixty metres away. Lying back on the grass, she felt confident that the man would not chase her out here. It had looked as though he had not seen daylight for years.

Perhaps he was used to the darkness? After all, the pit had been poorly-lit, maybe that was why he wore a blindfold – he had gone _blind_.

Yet how could he be such a good fighter if he could not even _see_ his opponent?

And another thing – why did he wear a gag? Couldn't he speak? Or perhaps he didn't want to. Either way, he looked – and acted – like a freak. Tira shuddered as she imagined the way he moved, his body coiling about as he slithered after her like a snake. It was graceful at times, yet also incredibly unpredictable, like a spider. What an odd fighting style!

Yet part of Tira couldn't help but wonder whether the freak was her only chance of survival. _He_ had somehow managed to survive, perhaps he could show her?

Then another thought sprang to mind. How were they going to communicate if he would not – or could not – speak, but only moan and hiss?

Tira thought back to the letter. On one side, a man who went by the name of Vercci had written to another man, Voldo. Could either of those be the man she had encountered?

Tira pondered. On the back of the note, the words 'Yes, master' had been written, presumably as a reply. So, Tira deduced, Vercci had to be the master, as he was the one who had written the note in the first place. But the way the man was dressed implied that he was not a master at all, but a… a servant? Perhaps even a slave – no, Tira quickly discarded that idea, as the letter was too kind for a slave. So… did this mean that the man she had met was Voldo?

There was only one way to find out, and it was not as though she had any other choice. Sighing to herself, she walked back towards the hole through which she came – leaving the loose tile where it was – and made her way back down to the treasure vault.

Here goes nothing, she thought to herself.

* * *

><p>I must say, I do hope I kept Voldo in character. He's so fun to write! As always, reviews kindly accepted. :)<p> 


	7. Speaking with the Servant

This chapter was amazingly fun to write! I love Voldo, I really do. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Tira climbed back through the trapdoor, once again reduced to stooping so as not to hit her head on the ceiling. Making her way back down the tunnel, she broke into a light jog once the ceiling was high enough for her to stand. She soon reached the fork and rounded the corner, and within minutes she had arrived back at the doorway of the treasure vault.<p>

And there he was. The man, just sitting on the ground. Seemingly staring at the huge statue which dominated the grand room, yet... how could he be staring if he was blindfolded?

Tira noticed him holding the note she had dropped earlier in his hand, his weapons lying neatly about a foot away.

He looked so _calm_.

Part of her did not want to disturb him, but Tira knew she had to.

Stepping quietly forwards, she cleared her throat.

'E – excuse me...'

Ugh, she had forgotten how much she hated being polite. It was such a waste of time!

The man got to his feet immediately and grabbed his katar, dropping the note just like Tira had done before. He lunged at her, a loud rasping noise escaping his throat, but because he was so far away Tira had time to evade him.

As much as she wanted to fight, she had to force herself not to harm this man.

It was much harder than it seemed.

Oh, how she wanted to rip him apart, hear his screams as Eiserne devoured him! She wanted to paint his body crimson to match the carpet, watch him writhe as the ring blade battered his body, slowly, viciously, until he finally succumbed to the wounds inflicted.

But no. Tira had to somehow make him stop fighting!

The man sprang towards her again and this time Tira ducked, catching his legs in a vice-like grip and kicking his weapons out of his hands. She leapt on top of him, turning him over fiercely so that he was on his stomach, cheek pressed sideways against the ground, and wrenched his arms behind his back. He struggled beneath her, his body convulsing in the strangest of ways, and Tira gave a sharp tug on his arms, causing him to hiss quietly.

She gritted her teeth. 'I don't want to fight you,' she said forcefully.

The man did not appear to have heard her, for he continued to try and knock her off of him.

Sighing, she reached around her and grabbed hold of Eiserne, tossing her blade lightly a few metres away from the man's face, into his line of vision - if he could see, that was.

The man suddenly stopped struggling.

'Look, there you go, I've dropped my weapon. Happy now?'

He gave no reply.

'I need you to help me... please,' she added, through gritted teeth.

The man gave a low groan in reply.

Cautiously, Tira let go of his wrists, watching him closely for any sign of attack. There was none.

She slowly climbed off of him. The man slowly rolled onto his back and sat up, turning his face in her direction.

Tira took that as a sign that he was listening.

Now, where did she begin?

'I – '

Wait, she had forgotten something! What was his name?

'Who are you?'

The man hissed quietly, and got to his feet. Walking towards the note, he picked it up and handed it to Tira.

How did he know where the note was?

However, that did not matter at this current moment. Looking at the note, Tira's eyes focused on one of the names.

It had to be.

'Are you... Voldo?'

The man nodded slightly.

At least he could hear – and understand – her.

'Who is Vercci?'

Voldo turned towards the statue, looking down at the ground.

'The statue...?'

He nodded again.

'Who... was he your...' Tira glanced at the note again, 'master?'

Another small nod.

'Where is he now?'

Tira felt a little strange, asking these rather personal questions to a person she had never met before. Yet it could be helped.

Voldo did not respond to this last inquiry, and Tira felt that it could only mean one thing.

'He's... dead... isn't he?'

The man nodded once more, although slower this time.

A deadly silence crept through the air, and Tira could guess what the man was thinking.

And quite frankly, she could not blame him.

Wait, what was this? Why had she suddenly gone all soft?

She was Tira! She did not care for people's emotions! She had come here to learn how to get off this bloody island, not start feeling sorry for a man who had tried to kill her!

She needed to focus and get back to the task at hand.

'I need your help.'

Voldo turned back to face her.

How was Tira to carry on?

Sighing, she clasped her hands behind her back and paced up and down.

'I was given an order to... assassinate someone - a pirate - called Maxi. I hid on his ship – if it _was_ his ship – and a storm hit us. Long story short, we were all shipwrecked here and it looks like I'm the only survivor. I need you to help me get _out _of this place!'

Voldo hissed again, only louder this time. His voice seemed to tremble slightly, and it was only after a moment that Tira realised –

This man was _laughing_ at her!

How dare he?

However, she forced herself not to pick up Eiserne, which was still metres away, and attack him.

He was laughing - if it could be called that. He sounded as though he was choking, but still. He seemed to be chuckling at the very idea that Tira had of her escaping this island.

_You won't escape_, he seemed to say, _it's not as easy as you think._

'W - why are you laughing at me?' Tira demanded. She was getting angry now, and was edging towards her weapon.

Voldo gave no reply, but started to circle her, the way a lion circles its prey before attacking.

Irritated, Tira picked up Eiserne and strode towards the door before she murdered him where he stood.

A split second later, Voldo had leapt in front of her, blocking her from getting past the entrance to the room. He did not raise his weapons, but hissed loudly, gesturing back to the heart of the treasury.

Tira was stunned. Was this man asking her to _stay_?

She backed away from him slowly.

'You… you don't want me to go?' she asked, eyeing him warily. She saw him shake his head _ever_ so slightly. If she had not been watching closely, she would have missed it.

Come to think of it, Tira had not seen or sensed anyone else around for miles. Could this mean that Voldo had been on his own here, perhaps for years on end?

He was lonely.

Tira mentally scolded herself for suddenly feeling any emotion for this… this _lunatic_, but sat down cross-legged on the carpet, setting her ring blade down beside her. Voldo seemed to watch her for a moment, but, when he appeared sure that Tira was not going anywhere, he came to join her. He, too, cast down his weapons, and sat down opposite her.

Tira was unsure of how to begin this… _conversation_, if it could even be called that. Voldo did neither look nor sound as though he was capable of answering.

'So…' she said awkwardly, staring around at the treasury, 'this… is your home?'

Another hiss issued from beneath Voldo's gag. She took that as a yes.

'How did you come to be here? I mean… do you stay down here all the time? Why?'

Silence.

'How do you live on this… island? There's no one here but us, right?'

More silence. Tira could see she wasn't getting anywhere. Was he even listening to her?

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

'Hey,' she said gleefully, 'what's with the strange aura around here? I mean – it's _so_… _evil_!' She giggled. 'Well? It's so _strong_ and so – so –'

She struggled to find the words to describe it.

_Go on, Tira. You know you want to._

It seemed as though it was… speaking to her…?

_Why won't he speak to you, Tira? He's just planning to attack you… and you know it._

Tira noticed that Voldo still hadn't made a sound.

_Are you sure he isn't just wasting your time for the fun of it?_

All of a sudden, a blind rage took over her, and she leapt at him.

'_Why_ won't you talk to me?' she screamed. She pinned him down, her face inches away from his as she shouted at him.

Voldo groaned loudly, startled.

Tira suddenly realised what she had done – and why she had done it.

The aura.

'Tell me about the aura – where's it coming from?'

She wanted to know! It was beginning to control her and – and it felt _good_ but – she was a servant of no one! She was a _free_ bird! She couldn't let herself be possessed!

Tira slowly released her hold on Voldo. 'Do you feel it, too?' She asked quietly, staring at him. She saw with surprise that he had not tried to attack her or defend himself when she had leapt at him just now. 'I'm… sorry,' she said, shuddering at the fact that she had suddenly gone soft. Ugh, why had she apologised?

But Tira only managed to extract yet another muffled hiss from Voldo.

'Are you even _able_ to talk?' she asked impatiently. She looked at the bindings covering Voldo's mouth. 'It's… it's those, isn't it?' she said, pointing to them, 'the gag – it's stopping you from talking. Why do you even wear it?'

And suddenly, without warning, Tira reached for Voldo's mouth, grasping the gag.

A bad move, she realised a second later.

Voldo jerked backwards, tearing her hands away violently, and swept her legs with his, tripping her over. Reaching for his weapons, he dived towards her, and pinned her down, causing her to scrape her back on the carpet, opening up her wounds.

Not again.

Tira braced herself for the oncoming blow to her throat, just like earlier on, and shut her eyes, turning her head to one side.

She was finished.

But the blow never came.

She felt Voldo's face inches away from hers, his heavy, strange sounding breath on her cheek.

Suddenly, it became too much.

Writhing underneath him, Tira pushed Voldo's chest in an effort to get him off of her. He retreated slightly, and she climbed out from beneath him.

Grabbing Eiserne, Tira dashed out of the room, back towards the opening in the tunnel.

She did not see not hear Voldo pursuing her this time.

When Tira reached the open air again, she stumbled out of the tunnel, stunned at what had just happened.

What was she to do now? Her body was a mess of raw skin and blood, she was tired, hungry and in pain, and she had now blown her chances of getting any help.

And it was now night time, as the sun had set whilst she had been underground.

Sighing, she dropped Eiserne and looked around. Lining the clearing were various trees of different shapes and sizes.

Some of them, Tira noticed, bore fruit.

Tira walked tiredly towards a low tree covered in exotic-looking, blood-red berries and took a handful. She had never seen berries as large as this before. After inspecting the beautiful colour, she tasted a few, half-closing her eyes as she savoured the sweet taste.

A stab of pain shot through her.

She was unconscious before she hit the ground.

* * *

><p>Muahahaha, I decided to poison Tira. :)<p>

I suppose you'd better get reviewing if you wanna know what happens to her. ;) Give a review, get a cookie! :3


	8. Tales of Torment

Wow, I got a ton of reviews for that last chapter! And seeing as they motivated me to carry on writing, here's the next chapter, which was a load of fun to write~! Also, thank you Niko for clarifying about the ships! :)

* * *

><p>Tira groggily opened her eyes, finding herself on her back, staring up at a high, grey stone ceiling. She seemed to be lying on something soft, her head resting on a cushion, and her body no longer ached.<p>

Where was she?

Rubbing her eyes, Tira slowly sat up, discovering that she had been lying on a pile of thick, warm blankets. Her back twinged slightly from the deep gashes there, but other than that, Tira felt… better.

Looking down at her outfit, she saw that she was no longer wearing the tattered green rags, which sat in the corner of the room, but a short yellow dress with a ruffled collar, long brown gloves and boots.

Who had done this?

Inspecting the wounds that she could see, she saw that someone had been tending to them. The wounds in her shoulder and shin had probably been properly cleaned, her hip and stomach no longer hurt, and a bandage, she saw, had been carefully wrapped around her thigh, covering the stab wound, which was now a few days old. Come to think of it, she had felt rather stiff as she had sat up, so there was no doubt that the wounds on her back had been looked at, too. The minor cuts and bruises littering her body were healing on their own, and the sand, salt and shards of glass invading them had been taken out.

Glancing around, Tira noticed the familiar crimson carpet and the huge statue dominating the room.

It couldn't be…

That was when she caught sight of Voldo sitting silently a few metres away.

She gasped. Had _he_ done all of this?

'Did… did you…?' she began. Voldo nodded slightly, looking away, as though embarrassed.

Tira got to her feet, stumbling slightly as she noticed the bandage wrapped around her ankle. No doubt she had sprained it. Voldo swiftly appeared at her side and steadied her, pushing her slightly to sit back down on the blankets. Tira did so, looking up at him in wonder.

Who knew this lunatic could be so, well… _kind_?

'How long was I asleep for?'

Voldo held up three fingers.

'Three days?'

The man nodded again.

'Why did you help me?'

Voldo was silent. Blushing, Tira realised that he had probably changed her into something more comfortable, too.

_Wait_, did that mean he had seen her n–?

'You didn't have to help me, you know,' Tira continued, growing a little more frustrated, pushing that thought out of her mind for the moment, 'you could have just left me for dead… how did you find me? You – you followed me out of here? Why?'

Voldo walked to the back of the room, ignoring Tira's heated questions, and disappeared momentarily among the shadows. Tira heard a clutter of porcelain, and within a few seconds he had come back, holding a plate of fruit and a goblet of water. He set it down in front of Tira, gesturing for her to eat, and sat down opposite her.

Tira stared at him. 'Aren't… aren't you going to have any?' she asked quietly. Tira was answered with a small hiss.

'You already ate?'

Another nod.

Well, at least that proved that Voldo did remove the gag binding his mouth, even if Tira had not seen him do it himself. She glanced down at the plate. It was filled with more exotic, brightly-coloured fruit – freshly picked, presumably from the trees outside. No berries this time, Tira thought with a small smile.

A sudden thought occurred to her. What if these fruits were poisonous, too? What if Voldo really did have it in for her, and wanted his revenge for what had happened the past few days?

No, that was stupid. If he wanted to kill her, he could have finished her off ages ago. And besides, why would he have helped her if he wanted her dead?

Tira picked up what looked like a wild apple and took a bite of the pink flesh. It tasted like a peach, only sweeter. Anyway, it was delicious, and that was all that mattered at the current moment.

'Why did you help me?' she asked after she had finished the piece of fruit. She drank from the goblet whilst waiting for Voldo's response.

He merely turned his face towards the carpet. God, it was ridiculously annoying, not being able to communicate properly with him!

Sighing, Tira half-closed her eyes. It had all been so tiring. If the ship hadn't fallen apart, Tira wouldn't be in this mess, stranded on an island with a blind, mute stranger who she never wanted to get on the wrong side of. Who knew if she would ever get off?

Yet, part of her felt guilty for even thinking about the idea. Somehow, she could not bring herself to leave Voldo here. If she and Eiserne ever left –

Eiserne!

'My weapon!' Tira cried suddenly, eyes wide, looking around the room. 'Where is she? Where have you –?'

Voldo held up a hand to stop her, then pointed blindly to the part of the room where the plate and goblet had been. There, half-hidden by shadow, was Eiserne, glistening in the dim light that filled the room. Tira also noticed Voldo's katar lying in the middle of the ring blade.

Relieved, Tira relaxed again, her head starting to ache from her sudden outburst.

Where was she?

Ah, yes.

'Why do you stay here? In this… chasm?'

Voldo gestured for Tira to stand up. She did, following him when he walked to the edge of the bridge and pointed at the statue's feet.

Looking over the edge of the platform they were standing on, Tira glanced at where Voldo was pointing. There, in the midst of the gold and jewels lining the vault, was a marble grave.

It was clearly Vercci's resting place.

Tira went quiet – and it was not often that anyone, or anything, could make this happen.

Voldo stayed here to guard his master. Tira was amazed at the loyalty this man showed. Who knew how long he had been here? Faithfully guarding him like a dog all these years.

It was then that Tira realised she was going soft, and angrily turned her back on the statue, looking back at the interior of the room.

There was still no guarantee that Voldo was… an ally. He could kill her any moment, why did she trust him so much? For all she knew, while she had been asleep, he could have –

_No. That was _not_ what had happened._

_You're just paranoid_.

True.

Shaking these thoughts out of her mind, Tira sat back down on the blankets, taking another piece of fruit. Looking up at Voldo, who was still facing Vercci's statue, she wondered. Shouldn't she tell him a little about herself?

'Voldo,' she said. The man turned back to face her.

'I… come and sit down… please.'

He nodded and did as she asked.

'Thank you for… this,' she said quietly. It was not like her to thank anyone like this, yet here she was. It seemed strange, how her life had changed dramatically over the last week. She was usually free to roam wherever she pleased, however it did not look as though she would be coming off this island any time soon. She was not used to being stuck in one place.

However, oddly enough, for once, she did not seem to care.

A sudden thought struck Tira – and gasped guiltily. All this time she had not told Voldo her name!

'My name is Eis – my name is Tira,' she rushed quickly. Voldo's head snapped up questioningly at her change of thought halfway through her sentence.

Tira could see she was going to have to start from the very beginning.

Sighing, she looked at Voldo. 'You listening?' she asked, 'I haven't told anyone this before… but I suppose seeing as you've taken care of me, I'll tell you about myself.'

Voldo nodded to show he was listening, and Tira began her tale.

'I was… raised as an assassin – part of an organisation called the "Bird of Passage". Trained to kill, all the time. In the end, it became the only thing I lived for,' she whispered.

Voldo was silent. 'Don't you feel it, too?' she asked him, 'the feeling that comes over you every time you take a life?' She smiled. 'Breathtaking, isn't it?'

Voldo rasped menacingly, his tongue incapable of responding to Tira's words, but his broken mind seemingly growing sharper as the subject of murder was brought forwards.

'My codename was Eiserne Drossel – pretty, don't you think?' She giggled in spite of herself, her head aching even more. 'we were trained to feel no remorse, no guilt when we took a life – and boy, was I good at that. It makes me feel so… _alive_.'

Tira was silent for a moment, lost in thought, before carrying on.

'The woman who taught me was known to us all as "Mother Bird", and – everything I know, I owe it all to her.'

Tira's face fell as she remembered what had happened afterwards.

'But one day, I…' she swallowed, struggling to keep her voice under control as tears welled up in her eyes. She was determined not to show any weaknesses – crying was for the weak! And she was _not_ about to break down, especially in front of Voldo. 'One day, when I was ready, they said – they said I – '

She took a deep breath. 'They forced me to kill her!' she screamed, her voice shaking slightly. 'It was a rite of passage, and I said no, I said I didn't want to kill Mother Bird, but they – they said that everything I had done had led up to that moment, and I had to do it to be accepted as one of them, and – and – and before I knew what I was doing, I… I did it. I killed the woman who had raised me, taught me.'

Tira's voice had been reduced to a whisper now. 'They made me like this,' she said hoarsely, 'it's all their fault.'

Tira was breathing quickly, her anger and guilt and frustration getting the better of her.

'I –I spent the next few years just trying to _forget,_ dammit, but I couldn't leave. The Bird of Passage hideout was my _home_… and then – and then one night – you must remember it, too, it was pretty famous – I can't quite explain it – I was given an order to find someone and kill him – Maxi, a pirate – and I was on my way out to go and find him when – when – when this light lit up the sky! It was – '

She stopped herself before she could say 'blinding', thinking it as a little insensitive to the man who could not see sitting in front of her.

'It was so _bright_,' she continued, 'it stopped us all in our tracks. And then my leader, he – he went – '

_Insane_. Tira halted herself there, too. What was the matter with her? Usually she did not care about insensitivity, but recently…

She took a deep breath. 'He started screaming – chasing all the assassins. There were about a hundred of us lined up, all awaiting orders, and – and suddenly everyone just started running away from him – there was a huge stampede, and we – we were – I was _freed_, Voldo!'

Tira's face suddenly lit up with a huge grin, her eyes wide. 'I could do _whatever_ I wanted; there was no one to stop me! I ended up with an adoptive family – but that didn't last long. I set the youngest daughter's pet bird free, and they got angry.'

Tira's face darkened at the thought. '_Why_ couldn't they see how cruel they were being? Locking up a pretty little bird like that! It was a beautiful – _perfect_ day, and I set it free! Birds are _meant_ to be free!'

She gritted her teeth, and memories of that day came flooding back to her. 'They didn't seem to think so,' she snarled, 'and so you know what I did?' She snorted. 'Obvious, isn't it?'

She laughed, smiling once again. 'I killed them! All of them, the parents, _and _the three kids! Heh, they didn't stand a chance! They were the ones who gave me the name 'Tira' – I gave my code name to my weapon. It's about the only useful thing they ever _did_!'

She stood up in a rage once more. 'I always end up hurting the people who care for me, isn't that _sad_? But guess what, Voldo – I've learnt not to care! Not one bit! After they died, I was just killing for the fun of it! Everywhere I went – everyone I met – all dead!'

She laughed loudly, wiping tears of mirth from her wide, psychotic eyes, and staggered towards Voldo, drunk with pleasure at the thought of annihilation. Voldo got up in defence, rasping menacingly at this girl who was turning into a monster in front of him.

'Dead, dead, _dead_, the lot of them!' she giggled. 'I didn't care – I still _don't_! It's fantastic, not caring – hey, have you ever just not cared before? Not given a damn who your weapons hit?'

She was only a couple of feet away from him now. 'It's refreshing, huh?' she asked him – earning a low growl in reply, 'why, I could even kill _you_, right here, right now – and I wouldn't feel a thing! No remorse, no guilt, no sadness – NOTHING!'

Before she knew it, she was screaming at him, and the tears of laughter were turning into something else now.

Pain, perhaps?

'Do you want to know _why_ I wouldn't care? _Do you_?'

Tira gripped Voldo's shoulders tightly, and forced him to look at her, studying his face deeply. 'It's because everyone I ever trusted has – has… and I…'

She was whispering again now, and suddenly started to feel faint again.

'I… want…'

She stumbled from exhaustion, collapsing. Voldo caught her swiftly, and steered her gently back towards the blankets.

'Want – want to trust you…'

She had calmed down now, and her eyelids felt heavy. 'How do I know you're not just like the others?' she breathed, as he laid her down, 'that you won't… _betray me_…?'

Voldo knelt back, adjusting the blankets Tira was now resting on. She spoke to him, and her voice was quiet and earnest, almost beseeching, as she felt the room around her start to fade.

'How _can_ I trust you, Voldo?'

In answer to her question, Voldo slowly reached up to his face and unclasped the gag binding his mouth, letting it fall to the floor, to reveal a pair of full, dark lips.

Tira tiredly lifted her hand in the direction of Voldo's mouth, letting it hover within inches of his slightly parted lips, before darkness enveloped her completely and she sank into a deep sleep once more.

* * *

><p>Whew, I'm glad this is up! Tira's story took forever to get right, whilst remaining in-character. I hope I did it okay. And I hope the gag thing at the end here wasn't too cheesy. Tell me what you think, guys!<p> 


	9. Dawn Discussions

Next chapter is up~! And just to make things clear, the dress Tira is wearing is her 2P costume in SCIII. I don't know what Voldo would be doing with dresses, but there you go. Another sign of insanity from the loveable oddball. XD Enjoy, folks!

* * *

><p>Tira awoke to find herself lying in the same place among the blankets, although this time the vault seemed significantly warmer. Sitting up, and feeling even better than she had done before, she located Voldo, who was lurking vigilantly in the shadows of the room.<p>

'How long was I out for _this_ time?' she asked with mild interest. Voldo held up four fingers immediately. '_Four_ days?' she replied, her eyes wide, 'are you kidding me?!'

Voldo shook his head impatiently, gesturing something smaller with his pale hands. 'Four… hours?' asked Tira. Voldo nodded. 'Oh…'

There was a pause, and then –

'Hey, is it light outside?' she grinned, bouncing up off of the blankets, 'I could do with some fresh air!' She bounded towards her ring blade, picking it up swiftly, and made for the door.

Voldo was there in an instant, blocking her way. Tira skidded to a sudden halt, giving him a questioning look, to which he responded by attempting to guide her back to where she had been lying a moment ago.

Tira shook him off of her lightly. Why was he –

Ah. She giggled slightly at the realisation.

'You're still worried about me, aren't you?' she inquired with a grin, her eyes glittering.

Voldo rasped quietly and turned his gaze away.

'I can't stay in here forever, you know,' she said.

Then she realised what Voldo was thinking. What if she never came back?

'I _won't_ just go, if that's what you're thinking about.'

Voldo made no response.

Then Tira had a thought. 'Hey, why don't you teach me how you… manage… here?' She said with interest. 'I don't want to go round eating bad berries again.' She smiled.

'Voldo?'

The man turned his face towards her.

'Please…?'

Voldo picked up his katar and beckoned Tira towards him. When she reached him he disappeared swiftly out of the room into the tunnel, and Tira had to almost jog to keep up with him.

Voldo took the route that Tira had done three days ago – so it _was_ a trapdoor, not just a loose tile – and the two of them emerged above the ground. The sun had just risen, a glowing orange ball in the sky among the purplish clouds. The birds were singing, and Tira closed her eyes for a moment, listening to their morning song. They really were beautiful creatures.

She took a deep breath, taking in the warm fresh air, then opened her eyes and turned to Voldo, who had made his way over to the greenery lining the clearing. He had dropped his weapons and was now running his fingers along the plants, feeling the leaves and the fruits among them. Tira marvelled at how gentle he was being, and walked over to him, watching with fascination as his long, skilled fingers caressed the plants.

'So…' Tira said quietly, not wanting to disturb him too much, 'which ones are… you know… okay?'

Voldo felt his way to a nearby vine, which was twisting its way in and out of all the other plants. It bore small, dark blue, plum-like fruits, and Voldo plucked one off and handed it to Tira.

'This one's alright to eat?' she said, receiving a nod from Voldo. She took a bite, savouring the sugary taste. 'It's good,' she smiled, and finished the fruit off, memorising the vine's position. Voldo hissed in reply and handed her a handful of light pink berries, which she also sampled. They continued in this manner for about twenty minutes, gradually making their way around the edge of the clearing until they came back to where they had started.

Tira could not believe the way in which this man had taught himself the ways of this island. He clearly knew the money pit like the back of his own hand, and was extremely familiar with what was outside it, too. She looked at him with certain… _admiration_. Surprised at her own thoughts, she fidgeted a little. It had been a long time since she had felt this way about anyone.

Suddenly, she heard Voldo rasp a little to get her attention. She snapped out of her daydream, watching as he picked up his katar and gestured for her to follow him once again.

Voldo made his way out of the clearing and led her through the vast jungle surrounding it. He really _did_ know this place inside out. Tira wondered how long it had taken him.

As they walked, Tira looked around at the forest, in particular the brightly-coloured birds dominating the treetops, listening to the sounds they were making. Such beautiful creatures – _this_ was where they belonged, not cooped up in some cage! She heard herself snarl slightly as she thought back to her adoptive family – in particular the girl whose pet the bird was.

They had _definitely_ deserved to die. And –

Suddenly Tira walked into Voldo, not paying attention to the fact that he had stopped. Muttering a word of apology, she listened. There was running water, and the sound of wildlife had gotten considerably louder. Looking past Voldo's shoulder in front of them both, she saw a stream with small fish in it, and, she noticed with fascination, a wild boar drinking from it.

She looked at Voldo. Surely he wasn't about to do what she thought he would?

'Are – are you –'

Voldo held up a hand to silence her. It was clear what his intention was. But how did he know where the creature was if he couldn't _see_?!

_He must have hearing like a dog_, Tira mused.

She watched, holding her breath, as Voldo crept like a spider towards his prey, weapons raised. When he was a few metres away from it, he crouched down, and then sprang forward, diving wildly, onto the boar. A split-second later he had speared its neck with his katar, and Tira looked on as blood gushed from the boar's wounds. It writhed in agony, squealing loudly, scaring the other wildlife away in the process, but Voldo kept a firm hold on it. He dealt another blow to its neck and held the boar down as it tried and failed to run away. Tira could see it slowly becoming weaker, struggling to escape Voldo's grasp, until at last it collapsed, succumbing to its wounds.

Tira watched in amazement as Voldo picked up the pig and walked back over to her, gesturing with his head back in the direction of the money pit. Tira followed him wordlessly, still startled at what had just gone on in front of her.

Once they reached the clearing Voldo carefully put the boar down and made his way back towards the trees. Feeling his way about the greenery, he paused when he came to a particularly large tree with thick branches and pulled a few of them down. Tira realised what he was doing, and walked towards him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

'I'll do it,' she said gently, and leapt up onto the tree in front of them, expertly weaving in and out of the leaves, climbing higher and higher like the acrobat she was, Eiserne fixed around her body. She perched between two broad branches and lifted Eiserne off of her body, swinging the blade round, effortlessly snapping the wood around her, watching it rain down on the ground below. Looking down, she noticed with a small smile that Voldo had moved well out of the way of the shower of wood and leaves.

When she was done she jumped down from the tree, landing lightly on her feet, and placed Eiserne on the ground. She fashioned a spit from some of the larger branches and, bounding towards the boar, she skewed it and propped it up on top of the rest of the wood that Voldo was now scooping together in a pile. She watched him as he then took two large twigs and scraped them together.

_Pfft. He's being too gentle. Show him how it's done!_

Instinctively she reached for his wrists.

'Here, look.'

He was silent as she guided his hands in the desired direction, scraping the branches together with force. Within a second, bright flames erupted in front of them, and Tira's face lit up at the sight. How beautiful fire looked in the early morning!

She let go of his wrists as he lit up the wood, roasting the boar. She looked on at the creature began to cook, still a little startled at the day's events so far. She sat back, as did her companion, staring at the animal, turning it around every so often to make sure it cooked evenly.

The two of them sat in comfortable silence, and Tira's mind began to wonder. She looked at the blind man sitting near her, pondering how strange the past week had been. She had been longing for adventure, but this… this was different.

For once she did not feel like killing. Causing others pain.

But… why?

After all, her only company was an unpredictable _lunatic_ who looked as though he could kill her in an instant, she was stranded on some godforsaken island in the middle of _nowhere_, and her mission to assassinate Maxi had slipped right through her fingers!

She had every reason to be angry, right?!

Yet somehow, she…

Ugh, what was the _matter_ with her?! She _lived_ to kill – why was she turning all soft?!

No… there was something about the blind one – something that Tira could not place – that had made her… what? Befriend him? Respect him? Perhaps even lo-

No, of course not, love was for fools! And besides, she could not – _would _not – imagine herself with _Voldo_, of all people!

She looked over at him, studying him as he kept an eye on the food. What had his past been like? Why had his master sealed him alive underground? Why couldn't he speak?

'_What does his voice sound like…?'_

Tira gasped, covering her mouth.

Had she really spoken her thoughts out loud? She must have done, as Voldo had stiffened, cocking his head slightly in her direction.

Shit. How loud had she been?

Loud enough for him to hear her!

_Ugh, Tira, what have you _done?!

She glanced at Voldo, and hesitantly moved towards him until she was sitting beside him.

She sighed. She didn't have much choice, now, did she?

'I… I just… was wondering…'

She looked up at him, gazing at his covered face. 'I want to hear your voice…' she whispered. She gently reached up to the gag. 'Can I…?' she began. Voldo was silent, and Tira hesitantly unclasped the straps binding his mouth, revealing his lips once again.

'Just… speak to me…'

Tira did not know why her voice was so gentle, or why she was being so… ugh, she couldn't quite put her finger on it! It just wasn't at all like her…

Yet there was something…

Voldo inhaled slightly, as though he was about to say something, but after a moment of silence, his parted lips came together again.

It was clear he was no longer capable of speech.

'You… you really can't talk, can you…?' Tira almost felt guilty for daring to speak so bluntly. But she wanted to know – what had _happened_ to him? How had he come to be this way?

A low hiss issued from Voldo's throat in reply, and he turned his face slightly towards the ground.

This little movement awoke something inside of Tira.

'No, look, this is stupid!' she said suddenly, 'I mean, how hard can it be? Look, I… I know this probably sounds ridiculous, but… I haven't got any other way of paying you back for what you've done for me other than… well… teaching you how to speak again…' she finished lamely.

She giggled, realising how mad this idea of hers sounded.

'This is crazy, right?' she said, eyes wide.

No response.

'But… I'd rather be crazy and – and _interesting_, than, well, _normal_ and… and _boring_… the other assassins at the Bird of Passage were like that. Heh, they didn't like me much. After I… after Mother Bird died, I kept making mistakes and being, well, clumsy, as they called it. Just because I was unique! And them? They were so – so _dull_… even the clothes they wore – not a single splash of colour, can you believe that?! So much grey and brown and… those colours have no _life_, do they? They don't _tell_ anyone about your personality. At least you and I… we're special, right?'

Tira paused. She _was_ special… wasn't she? She had a purpose! Although, she realised with a pang, that purpose clearly hadn't been at the Bird of Passage. No, her purpose was to be Voldo's… companion? To teach him how to live again!

Tira's eyes glazed over as she became lost in thought. 'Back in Germany, they… they thought people like us were… they looked down on us. Always thought they were better. I'm so glad I've gone.'

She cocked her head. Voldo… Vercci… these names did not sound familiar at all, yet she had travelled practically every inch of Eurasia for her assassinations! However good her geography may have been, it was clearly not good enough. 'Where are _you_ from?' she asked.

Voldo looked up.

Realising he could not speak, Tira guessed. 'Okay, you're from Europe, right?'

The mute nodded.

'Uh, north, west…?'

Voldo pointed downwards.

'South!'

Another nod. Now, southern Europe…

'Ottoman Empire? No? Spanish Empire…? Am I close?'

Voldo gave another slight nod.

'Kingdom of Sicily?'

Voldo gestured for her to keep going. So, it was somewhere in the Italian Peninsula…

'Kingdom of Naples?!'

Voldo nodded. Now, where in Naples…

Tira began to list places.

'Capaci? Solunto? Bagheria? Palermo…?

Voldo hissed quietly.

'Palermo?!'

The man gave another nod. So, he was born in Palermo, in the Kingdom of Naples. Who would have guessed that Voldo was _Italian_, of all things?

There were so many things Tira wanted to ask him! His family, his childhood… yet she knew it would be impossible without hearing his voice. She could not guess his sign language forever.

'I'm going to make sure you speak to me, even if it's just once…' she murmured quietly, without thinking, 'I'll do whatever it takes…'

She looked at Voldo, and saw that he had stilled yet again.

Suddenly, before Tira could think about what she was doing, she had wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a close embrace. She felt him stiffen at this sudden contact, before slowly, hesitantly, snaking his arms around her, and she smiled slightly. She did not know what had made her do it, what had made her act this way towards this… oddball. Yet there was something about the blind, mute man she was holding… something about Voldo that had seemed to grow on her.

The two of them stayed like this for a few moments before Tira pulled away slowly, the scent of the boar invading her nostrils.

She turned her head towards it, realising it was ready. Glancing back at Voldo, Tira picked up Eiserne, ready to slice the meat.

'Breakfast is ready,' she said with a smile.

* * *

><p>Teehee, things are getting a little fluffy. ^^ Not for long, though. Stay tuned! :)<p> 


	10. Suicidal Sparring

Nice long chapter here~! Hopefully I'll get another one up by 25th August, maybe you can guess why? XD

* * *

><p>Weeks passed, and with each day Tira grew more accustomed to Voldo's company. Although her attempts to make him speak were fruitless, she would not give up. She also began to notice his little ways of getting around without his sight – the way he could tell what time it was judging by the feel of the wind and the sun outside, the way he could expertly hunt an animal despite having to rely only on his sense of hearing and smell – although, for some reason, Tira noticed, he always seemed to leave birds alone – and the way in which he battled an opponent with such skill and unpredictability, as Tira had noticed as soon as she had met him.<p>

Voldo also began to show her around the pit, and Tira soon learned her way around it. It was _huge_ – and riddled with traps for intruders. When shown properly around the room she had first entered by, she noticed properly the cages and trapdoors, which Voldo carefully led her around, and realised she had not fallen prey to any of them when she entered. Tira had questioned Voldo about this, but he had answered her with silence.

Perhaps it had been a stroke of luck. One false step and she would have died. Or perhaps Voldo had somehow known she was coming… and purposely not set the traps?

No, he was a guardian, remember? He would kill any intruders without a second thought. Yet, Tira couldn't help wondering why she was still alive…

Nevertheless, she had grown to trust him – enough to train with him now and again.

'You know,' she said to Voldo on her latest tour of the chasm one afternoon, 'I could really use a sparring partner… my skills are going to get rusty with nobody to fight. Makes me wonder how you do it. There must be _loads_ of intruders about this place if your fighting skills are still great!'

She gestured to the room they were currently in – the main weapon gallery, clearly one of the most prized rooms of all. It was huge and circular, with multiple entrances, adorned in rich colours like purple, blue and gold, and hanging on the walls and in cabinets were every type of weapon imaginable: swords, from rapiers to katanas; intricately designed rods and scythes; small weapons such as daggers and throwing knives; and a considerably large collection of katar. Beside all the weapons were small plaques stating their names, and Tira walked to the row of katar. There was a pair missing from the middle of the row, and Tira realised it was the pair Voldo currently held in his hands. She gazed at the plaque. _Manas and Ayus._

'Your weapons have pretty names,' she said, receiving a low hiss in reply.

Glancing around, Tira spotted one lone ring blade high up on the wall – these weapons were unique to the Bird of Passage; how had one ended up in here? Squinting up at the plaque, she could just make out the name. _Bifrost_. It was composed of two rings – the outer ring was silver with blades shaped like wings, and the inner ring was made of stained glass in different colours. It was a beautiful blade, one could not deny that.

'Anyway,' she grinned suddenly, bouncing back to Voldo, snapping out of her daydream, 'are we gonna train or what?'

Without a word, Voldo leapt at her, swiping his katar towards her face. Tira just had time to bring Eiserne up in defence, the sound of metal upon metal ringing in her ears as their weapons clashed. 'Hey, I wasn't ready!' she smiled as she forced Voldo backwards. He stumbled momentarily before snaking his way around her legs and tripping her over, as if to say 'you are, now'. Tira fell through her blade and brought her hands into contact with the worn blue carpet, pushing upwards and somersaulting away from him before prancing up to him and aiming for his back. He dodged the blow, clearly used to attacks from behind, and grabbed her waist. Tira squealed as he lifted her up and effortlessly flung her across the room. Tira landed lightly on her feet, skidding to a halt, before trying another tactic.

Using Voldo's lack of sight and her immense stealth to her advantage, Tira crept silently behind him again. He was staying very still, as if to try and figure out where she was, but as she made no sound, it seemed impossible for him. Without warning she jumped at him, clinging onto his back, one hand around the mask he was wearing that day, as he made an attempt to shake her off, his body contorting wildly. She tried to stay on him but to no avail – and he succeeded in once again throwing her off of him and she was flung backwards – taking the mask with her.

She landed painfully on her rear, her blade flying across the room, and she fell back, laughing. Voldo's current outfit looked a little odd without the mask she was currently holding. It was double-sided, with a gold sun face on the front and a silver moon on the back, and matched the rest of his outfit, adorned with gold and silver so it looked like a completely different person if he turned his back to his opponent. A change to the bondage-themed outfits he seemed extremely fond of. Tira wondered how he chose outfits if he couldn't _see_ them.

She stood up, walking over to Voldo. 'Here,' she giggled, handing him the mask, 'sorry about that.' He placed his mask back on, covering up the basic blindfold and gag that he still wore underneath it.

'Why do you still wear the blindfold and stuff even though you're wearing a mask?' she asked, 'I mean, it's not likely that someone's gonna pull it off in battle like I did, is it? How many people think to jump onto someone's back and pull their outfit apart? Wouldn't be very effective.'

She looked at him. 'Besides… I think you look nicer without it. Let people see what they can of your face.'

Voldo emitted a quiet rasp and slowly took his mask off.

'Much better.'

Tira grinned. 'Now, where were we?'

A moment later she was being chased by Voldo. She sprang towards Eiserne, picking the blade up, and whipped around, quickly blocking Voldo's attempt to slice her face. She tripped him up, sweeping his legs with hers, but he used it to his advantage and slithered around her ankles, knocking her over. He then bent backwards, landing in a strange position on all fours facing the ceiling, and proceeded to walk forwards like a crab. Tira quickly backed away before he could run her over, and watched as he brought himself into an upside down position, balancing on one weapon while he thrust his other limbs out in an attack.

Tira had forgotten how unpredictable Voldo's moves were. She shoved him roughly and he lost his balance, tumbling towards the ground. Tira smirked but realized a second later that he had not collided with the floor but in fact coiled his body into a circular shape and was now _rolling_ towards her at a fantastic speed, his body like the wheel of a carriage

Tira was unsuccessful in dodging Voldo's blow this time as he landed on top of her. Suddenly she found herself spinning and realized he had taken her with him, trapping her in a grip and hurtling around the room. The fact that Tira was still carrying her weapon did not seem to hinder him, and he carried on.

This move was certainly effective, as it had rendered Tira too dizzy to fight back. Eventually the two of them came to a halt, and Voldo lightly threw Tira and Eiserne off of him. Tira stumbled and fell backwards, using her elbows to break her fall.

'Okay,' she breathed, exhausted, 'you win.'

She lay there for a minute, catching her breath, eyes closed, a content smile on her face.

Suddenly, she heard a crash from somewhere across the room.

'Voldo, give me a minute! You must be really eager to fight.'

But then she heard a loud scream and a hiss and was vaguely aware of something flying across the room.

Her eyes shot open and she swiftly got to her feet, picking up Eiserne and gripping the blade tightly. 'What the...' She looked behind her at the object that had been thrown.

It was a... _person_?! Yes... it looked like a person, lying crumpled in a heap against the wall.

It was then that Tira noticed Voldo battling a group of bandits - there must have been at least thirty of them. Intruders? Thieves? They must have been, if Voldo was attacking them.

Aw, how convenient. They had come at the right time, just after the warm up!  
>Tira smirked. They would be no match for Voldo. Even so, she bounded towards the commotion to unleash her attacks.<p>

It was time to perform a _proper_ dance - with a partner, this time, Tira thought, glancing at Voldo.

The bandits had invaded the room now, and had spread themselves out. They were dressed in colourful armour, with huge helmets, and they carried katana, as well as a strange flag tucked into the back of their faulds.

Who _were_ they? What did they _want_?

However, that did not matter. They would die if that was what Voldo required.

Wait - how had they gotten here in the first place? Perhaps they could provide a way of escaping –

No. Voldo was battling them, and they were a gang. They had to have bad intentions... hadn't they?

Tira scowled. Was she really having second thoughts about killing someone? She definitely had gone soft during her time on this island.

A loud hiss of pain brought her back to reality. Voldo was attempting to battle three opponents at once and a fourth had crept up behind him and stabbed him, shouting something in a foreign tongue that Tira could not understand.

Oh, he was going to pay for that.

Tira bolted towards the soldier and leapt on his back, bringing Eiserne around his neck and swiftly slicing his head off his shoulders, his scream of shock ringing through the room.

Voldo gave a brief nod of thanks before turning back to his opponents, switching stance so that he was once again balancing on one katar, and bringing his three remaining limbs up, knocking the three intruders unconscious.

The rest of the bandits seemed to notice Tira properly for the first time, now, and several of them rounded on her. Smiling, she swung Eiserne around her body, watching as the solders dropped like stones to the ground, wounds carved into their bodies.

Tira somersaulted backwards out of the way of two more charging opponents, keeping half an eye on her blind companion. Even after all this time she was still amazed at his talent for swordplay despite his lack of sight.

The two bandits had drawn their swords and Tira just had time to dodge their blows, but fell backwards in the process. She brought Eiserne up to her chest to block the katanas which were aimed for her heart, then swiftly tripped up one of her opponents, knocking him into the other. She watched as they both crashed to the ground, then jumped on them and slashed their throats with ease.

Jumping up, Tira caught sight of three more opponents hurtling towards her from all sides, their weapons raised. One of them struck her abdomen and her knees gave way underneath her as she gritted her teeth in pain. She rolled over quickly to avoid a blow to her neck from a second soldier and swung her blade in a horizontal motion to trip up the third. He collapsed, grasping his shins which were now covered in blood, and Tira delivered a swift kick to his head, rendering him unconscious. Or dead; she couldn't be sure.

One down, two to go!

Tira stood up, facing the two thieves left. One of them swung his katana at her face and Tira leaned backwards sharply, receiving a mere cut on her cheek. She jabbed Eiserne at his chest, knocking him off balance, then slashed his throat, watching as blood spewed out of the wound. She then rounded on the second soldier, but as she went to sever his head from his shoulders, he did something very strange. The man dodged the ring blade and then jumped up so that he was perched on the hilt of his katana, the blade of which was touching the ground. He then proceeded to use his sword as some sort of vehicle, manoeuvring around at a remarkable speed, headed straight for Tira.

_And I thought Voldo's fighting style was weird_, she thought.

Backing away swiftly, Tira ducked out of the way of her katana-riding opponent and ran a good distance back.

How should she approach this one…?

Ah, of course.

Tira ran full speed at her opponent and at the last second jumped over him. In an attempt to spin around and follow her he lost his balance and toppled over.

Perfect.

She landed with such force on her attacker's sword that it snapped in half, and as he tried to scramble away Tira grabbed his leg and pulled him towards her. Leaping on top of him, she seated herself on top of his throat, crushing his windpipe, watching with glee as he struggled beneath her. She then shifted backwards so that she sat atop his chest, and slowly sawed through his neck, blood pooling around his head. Tira listened, giggling, to his shrieks of terror and pain which died away as his head separated from the rest of his body.

All of a sudden, she felt a blade pierce her shoulder deeply.

Gasping in pain, she whipped around and hoisted herself up, coming face to face with a large man who had clearly lost his helmet a while ago. Tira narrowed her eyes and realized he was Asian. Of course. The armour... the katanas... they were Japanese. Growling in rage, she ran at him, aiming for his chest. However, her opponent parried her attacks effortlessly and succeeded in striking her thigh, causing her legs to give way. Tira fell to her knees, losing her grip on her ring blade. Looking up at her attacker, she braced herself for the finishing blow as she saw him raise his sword high. She bowed her head, closing her eyes, and waited. She was finished.

Suddenly, Tira became aware of an object being flung at her opponent in front of her.

'Aargh! Boku no - boku no me - miru koto ga dekinai!'

It took Tira a moment to realise what had happened. Looking up, she saw a katar embedded deep into the bandit's eye. She watched him attempt to painfully pull it out, dropping his sword, before collapsing, dead.

Had Voldo realized she was in trouble? How had he known? She hadn't made a sound!

He had fantastic aim for a blind man.

Then again, it could have been an accident. Tira turned her head in the direction from which the weapon had come, and realised that a couple of bandits were trying to wrestle Voldo's weapons out of his hands.

Either way, she was grateful.

Standing up, Tira scanned the room. There were only a handful of intruders left, now, as Voldo appeared to have done a good job slaying the majority of those still alive. He was clearly used to intruders. However, upon closer inspection, Tira realised that he was covered in blood that was seeping rapidly out of the wounds carved into his body, soaking his clothing and turning it a deep crimson colour. Parts of his shirt had been torn off, and there was a small knife embedded in his leg.

Tira plucked the lone katar out of the corpse's eye socket.

'Voldo! Catch!'

Voldo turned his battered body towards the direction of Tira's voice, his weaponless hand raised high. Tira hurled the katar across the room and Voldo caught it swiftly before resuming fighting. He did not seem to care about his wounds for the time being. Either that, or he hadn't noticed them.

Suddenly, Tira heard a scrape of metal behind her, and she whipped around to find one of the soldiers taking a katana from the wall.

Voldo would not be pleased to find part of the vault's treasure missing.

'Hey!'

The thief wheeled around and struck Tira in the face. She staggered from the blow, blood pouring down her cheek, and just caught sight of the man making a dash for the exit of the room.

'Oh, no you don't!' Tira snarled.

She quickly picked up Eiserne from the floor and gave chase. Glancing quickly at Voldo, she saw that he was still fighting and that there were only about four thieves left now. He would finish them off in no time, there was no need to worry about him.

Looking back at the person she was pursuing, Tira saw him disappear through one of the many doors to the room. Tira snorted. The only ones who knew their way about this gigantic chasm were she and Voldo. Gritting her teeth, she sped up.

There was no way this man would get out of here alive.

* * *

><p>I wonder who the bandits are... XD<p>

Stay tuned for more action! And you know when the bandit loses his eye, what he's saying is 'My - my eye - I can't see!' in Japanese. :3 Oh, and as if you couldn't guess already, Voldo's current costume is his SCIII 2P one. :3


	11. The Manji Warrior

HAPPY 471ST BIRTHDAY VOLDO~! Creeping people out since 25th August, 1541. :D Woohoo~~ *has a party*

Also, I made a Voldo tumblr, if anyone's interested. Dedicated to this adorable lunatic. :3

h-t-t-p : / / fuckyeahvoldo . tumblr . com

(remove the dashes and spaces, you know what FF is like)

* * *

><p>Tira hurtled through the dimly-lit, twisting tunnels of the chasm, listening to the sound of the bandit's hurried footsteps and sharp breaths in front of her to guide her. She laughed inwardly – if the thief managed to make it out of here alive, it would be a miracle!<p>

Tira vaguely noticed the evil aura invading the pit getting weaker as she ran… come to think of it, it had been rather strong back in the weapon gallery a few moments ago – stronger than the rest of the chasm…

What if the source of the evil energy was back in the weapon room?!

_Ugh, Tira, there's no time for that now, you need to catch up to the intruder!_

Tira could see him in the distance, but as soon she reached the end of the tunnel and looked around the torture chamber she had come into, he was nowhere to be seen.

However, another sight met her eyes.

Lying among the various traps in this ghastly room were more bandits – all dead, the stench of blood filling the air. There must have been about twenty corpses littering the floor and the walls where they had become prey to the snares. No doubt there were even more all around the pit, even more unsuspecting, wretched thieves who had walked straight into the guillotines and various other devices.

There had been more! The ones who had attacked in the weapon gallery had either avoided the traps, or were a separate group to begin with.

There could have been others alive…

Annoyed at herself for once again getting distracted, Tira realised that she was wasting time – the bandit could have escaped by now!

Tira decided to make her way out of the pit via the quickest route possible and beat the thief to it, and within minutes she had reached the open air via another trap door which led to beside the stream she had first visited a few weeks ago. Racing back to the edge of the clearing, Tira quickly climbed up a tree, concealing herself, and scanned the lining of the pit.

Then she waited.

But what if the soldier had died on the way out – been caught by another trap? Tira would have to search the entire chasm to find him and return the stolen katana, as well as dispose of all the bodies littering the place!

She didn't know how Voldo did it on his own – and without his sight. She admired him for that.

Suddenly Tira was broken out of her thoughts by a figure in the distance emerging from the pit.

The intruder!

Yet, how had he managed to climb up the walls?!

_Wait a minute…_

Tira narrowed her eyes. Upon closer inspection, the thief was carrying the stolen katana in one hand, which appeared to be a wooden prosthetic, and using his own weapon as a kind of _propeller_ to fly out of the pit! How incredibly odd.

However, Tira would not let that hinder her; he would still not escape.

Tira waited until the bandit was a few feet away from the tree she was concealed in, then she struck.

Leaping out of the tree and onto her opponent, she knocked him out of the air and the two of them landed with a crash onto the clearing floor. Tira attempted to pin him down but he kicked her away forcefully, sending her flying. She landed on her beck, her ring blade loosely in her hand, before getting to her feet, snarling.

'You're starting to irritate me,' she growled, 'who _are_ you?!'

The bandit got up, pointing the stolen katana at her, tucking the other one into his belt.

'I am Yoshimitsu,' he said in his heavily accented voice.

'Well, _Yoshimitsu_,' Tira replied, her eyes narrowing, 'you'll soon be joining your cronies in the afterlife because I'm about to finish you off – Voldo probably wants his sword back!'

'Ah, foolish girl, see, it was not his in the first place,' the bandit giggled, 'the lunatic stole it from me. I merely wanted it back.'

'Voldo is no _lunatic_!' Tira hissed angrily, 'and why would he want to steal anything from _you_?'

'How should I know?' He appeared to look her up and down – although it was hard to tell considering his face was concealed by a ghastly mask. 'It seems as though his madness has rubbed off on thee. Nevertheless, that is no matter – thou shalt be cured after I have killed thee.'

'What do you mean, "His madness has rubbed off on me"?' Tira asked, infuriated, 'there's nothing wrong with me – and he's not mad!'

'Is that so?'

Yoshimitsu stepped closer to her. 'It is not safe for him to wield a blade at all – let alone be in possession of hundreds. Hast thou never wondered why he has lost the ability to speak? Why the garments he wears make him look as though he belongs in a brothel? Why he stays all day in a _pit_, earning the nickname of the 'ghost guardian'? _He went insane_.'

Yoshimitsu's last sentence sent a chill down Tira's spine. 'W-what caused that?' she found herself whispering, half to herself.

'Who knows?' Yoshimitsu answered, 'I'd rather not find out either. Now, brace thyself! Thou shalt repent!'

Before Tira had time to think, her opponent was running full speed at her. She barely had time to block his attack, the clash of metal ringing in her ears, before forcing him away and directing a blow to his chest. He leapt back, and Tira only succeeded in slicing his breastplate.

She tried again but he parried her attack, causing her to stumble. Snarling, Tira aimed a kick at his crotch and he kneeled over with a scream of pain. He dodged Tira's attack which was aimed for his neck, and quickly got up, slashing her thighs.

Snarling, Tira leapt at Yoshimitsu in an attempt to knock him over again, but he caught the interior of her ring blade with his weapon and flung her away.

Tira landed on her feet, skidding a little, and the two of them began to circle each other.

'I find it adorable how you've come all this way just to die,' Tira smiled, 'it's only a sword, why didn't you just acquire another one in Japan?'

'This is not just _any_ sword, naïve little girl,' Yoshimitsu replied, a note of impatience creeping into his high voice, 'it is the last of its kind. It was forged with secret techniques centuries ago and has been handed down through many generations!'

Tira eyed him warily as he spoke.

'After the Manji clan was massacred I swore an oath of vengeance to this weapon. It has been tainted with the evil energy of Soul Edge and turned into a demonic weapon!'

Evil energy of Soul Edge? The Cursed Sword…

Of course! The aura in the pit had been coming from this weapon!

No – wait. That did not make sense. There had still been an evil aura coming from the weapon gallery that had been growing fainter as Tira had come away from it, and that was when the katana was already stolen

There had to be another source of energy coming from within the pit.

'Such a weapon must not fall into the wrong hands,' Yoshimitsu continued, 'especially the hands of a madman! It hast the ability to divert evil energy and destroy a monument in a single blow.'

'So then why haven't you killed me already?' Tira shot back.

'Ah, because that would be no fun, now, would it? Killing thee in one blow? It would be over too quickly!'

Great minds think alike, it seemed, Tira mused.

'Do you know the name of my katana, young girl?'

Tira was silent, still circling the bandit.

'It is named Yoshimitsu,' he said quietly, 'it will not harm its wielder if the wielder shares the blade's name, no matter how much energy it contains.'

Yoshimitsu's voice grew louder. 'However, the blade _will_ harm thee, and be in safe hands again – and thy life, I shall take!'

With that, Yoshimitsu charged at Tira. Growling furiously, Tira dodged and dived for his legs, swinging Eiserne and tripping him up. As he fell, however, he stabbed Tira's forearm, causing her to lose her focus momentarily. Seizing his chance, Yoshimitsu threw her off of him and assumed the strange stance like that of the other soldier previously. Balancing on his sword, he hopped towards Tira, who had landed once again on her back, leaving herself open for attack. She rolled over to avoid being stabbed in the heart before swinging Eiserne round against the katana holding her opponent up. He lost his balance as he fell to the ground and Tira quickly delivered a number of slashes to his body as well as forceful blow to his helmet.

He crashed to the ground and lay there, unmoving. 'Pathetic,' Tira snorted. She picked up the katana, which had flown out of his wooden hand, and proceeded to make her way back to the vault.

She suddenly had another thought. Turning around, she drew the second katana out of its case and brought Eiserne down on it, severing it in two, for good measure.

'There,' she said, smiling, before skipping her way back to where she had left Voldo.

Nimbly avoiding any still set traps lining the pit, Tira climbed down and made her way through the maze-like tunnels .

She sure was glad she knew her way around now. She noticed properly for the first time that the evil aura was growing stronger as she got closer to her destination. Perhaps Yoshimitsu had mistaken the katana for what really held the energy. It had to be a weapon – it was coming from the weapon gallery, was it not?

After about a minute of jogging Tira reached the room, which was littered with corpses. The blue carpet, she noticed, was now stained with crimson, and the stench of blood was stronger here than Tira had ever seen before. So, she noticed, was the aura.

Tira bounded through the doorway, ready to return the weapon. Picking her way through the bandits' bodies, she reached the other end of the gallery and placed the katana back in its place. She hadn't noticed it before, but it was positioned in the middle of the wall on a small cushioned shelf rather than being simply attached to the wall. Tira gazed at the plaque below it, but noticed it read something different to what Yoshimitsu had told her.

_Soul Edge_.

Soul Edge? Yoshimitsu had told her the weapon was named after him! And, loath though she was to admit it, she believed him, purely because of the confusion about the aura. Perhaps Voldo had placed the katana in the wrong place? He was blind, after all…

No, this gallery was one of the most organised rooms about this place. There was something else… something not quite right…

'Voldo…' Tira began, still staring at the plaque.

However, something stopped her when she realised something.

Voldo was nowhere to be seen. She had been so focused on returning the sword that she hadn't noticed it! Where was he?

Then it dawned on her. He could be – what if –?

No, that was stupid. There were probably more living intruders about the pit – no doubt he was massacring those, too.

Shaking any negative thoughts on Voldo's whereabouts out of her head, Tira decided to check that all the bandits were dead. Skipping her way through the field of bodies, she slashed each of the intruders' throats in turn.

How fun this was! Slice, swoosh –

_Shit!_

Tira froze, Eiserne hovering inches above one bandit's neck. Lowering her blade, she knelt down and cautiously studied the body.

Her eyes widened.

_No…_

There, to her horror, was Voldo, lying motionless in a pool of his own blood, countless wounds carved into his body.

* * *

><p>...okay, so that wasn't much of a Birthday present. XD Sorry, Voldo. *hides*<p>

Wow, two chapters up in less than a week. Lovely. XD Don't forget to review, guys, Voldo is waiting for his Birthday wishes~! X3 Otherwise he'll come after you. Hissing. Menacingly. With katars raised. *evil Voldo glare*

XD


	12. The Mind of the Mad

Wowzers, this chapter took absolutely forever to write. Enjoy! XD

* * *

><p>Tira stared in horror at Voldo, too shocked to move. His clothing was in tatters and the gold and silver had now turned to crimson – and who knew how much of the blood staining his outfit was his? Part of the fabric had been ripped away, exposing his torso, which was a mess of scarlet, and his now maskless face was covered in cuts and bruises.<p>

How could he have been beaten?!

Tira looked hurriedly around the room. It was clear Voldo had defeated the bandits before succumbing to his own wounds. She quickly grabbed hold of his pale wrist and felt for a pulse. After a few agonisingly slow seconds, she found one.

Relieved, Tira dislodged Voldo's weapons, which were still loosely in his hands.

She surveyed the man's bloodied body. He was much taller than she was, and, no doubt, heavier than her, too. Nevertheless, Tira thought back to her assassin training. She had been taught to lift things – including people – that were twice her size when learning how to fight.

She had to put it to good use now.

Tira swiftly – although not without some difficulty – picked Voldo up and lifted him over her shoulder. It would have looked comical if the situation wasn't so serious.

Now what?

Glad she knew her way around the chasm, Tira thought carefully. This particular room was not very far down, so it would be easy to quickly go in and out of the entire vault should she need something. However, she did not want to leave Voldo alone in here in case somebody else attacked. As far as she knew the nearest room with supplies and a comfortable enough place for Voldo to rest was… his quarters.

Tira felt slightly apprehensive when this particular thought crossed her mind. Yes, she _had_ been taught her way around the money pit as there had been an unspoken agreement between her and Voldo previously that she would be staying here for, well, who knew how long? – but, funnily enough, he had avoided showing her the room in which he slept – which he rarely did. She had seen the location, but as for the room itself…

_You're wasting time, you idiot! He could be dying as we speak and you're just standing here deciding on whether or not to invade his personal space. Hurry up!_

Picking her way through the bodies littering the weapon gallery, Tira made her way swiftly out of the room and through the winding tunnels that she had grown so familiar with. She passed a considerable amount of bodies on her way upwards, she noticed. The room she was headed for was located near the entrance of the pit, among the deadliest of the traps – presumably to set said traps and take out any intruders as soon as possible.

After a couple of minutes of swift walking, Tira reached the hidden alcove that led to Voldo's room, near her own. Well, strictly speaking it had been Voldo's master's chambers – one of many – but she had used it for the time being.

Pushing her slight nervousness aside, Tira gave the door a hard shove with her shoulder and it swung silently open.

Her eyes widened when she saw what awaited her inside.

What shocked her wasn't the large, low bed covered in rich, red and gold fabrics, nor was it the fantastic carpet similar to that of the top of the main vault where Tira had ended up all those weeks ago. It wasn't the fact that none of the torches on the wall were lit – what use would Voldo have of them if he was blind? It wasn't even the collection of alarmingly sexual outfits including a considerable amount of fishnet, spikes, strings, helmets, harnesses and gags – which were arranged in an oddly neat, almost _perfect_ way in the large wardrobes and drawers, most of which were half-open.

What stunned her was the light-coloured wall opposite the doorway. In contrast to the other three bare walls, this one had clearly been attacked over and over again, exposing most of the brickwork underneath the paint, rendering it a mess of beige and red. It looked as though someone had viciously clawed the entire wall with either a blade or extremely sharp nails, filed to the point where they resembled talons rather than taking a normal shape. Perhaps both.

Tira walked slowly forwards and gently laid Voldo on the bed, before making her way shakily to the wall, running her fingers lightly over the marks. Upon closer inspection, it was not only the brickwork that was red – but it seemed to be infused with… dried blood?

There seemed to be years' worth of anger and pain and fear and madness speaking out through this one wall.

It was… _harrowing_.

Tira slowly turned her back on the wall and faced the unconscious man on the bed. Slowly kneeling down, she took one of his cold hands in hers and studied it carefully. His nails were long, sharp, and deadly, and the pale skin on his knuckles was dry and cracked – clearly from gripping his weapons for, well, who knew how long? It was clear that this man had aged – and it was far from graceful.

Had _he_ done this?

What was going through his head half the time? Why had he done this? What was causing him so much distress?

How long had this been going on?

Tira thought back to Yoshimitsu's words.

_Hast though never wondered why he has lost the ability to speak? Why the garments he wears make him look as though he belongs in a brothel? Why he stays all day in a pit, earning the nickname of the 'ghost guardian'? He went insane._

Tira pondered carefully. Yes, ever since Tira had wound up here Voldo had seemed _odd_, there was no doubt about that, but not as mad as Yoshimitsu made out. She had never imagined _this_…

Tira thought she had grown to understand his body language due to the fact that he couldn't speak, but whenever he made excuses to reset the traps or to check the treasure, especially at strange hours during the night… is _this_ what he did?

Releasing Voldo's hand, Tira suddenly snapped out of her thoughts. Though a lot of the blood had clotted, he was still bleeding badly – perhaps he had only a little time left!

Dashing quickly out of the room, Tira headed down to the storerooms which were, annoyingly, right at the bottom of the chasm. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, desperate to reach the items which would aid her in helping Voldo.

_You know, you're so stupid, Tira. Why do you care so much what happens to him?_

…are you for real?

_Yep. A few weeks ago you were thinking about killing him. You've never cared about anyone in your entire life, except for Mother Bird – and we all know what happened to her!_

Aw, come _on_! That isn't fair!

_What is this, you've gone all soft? You're starting to forget who you are, Tira…_

That's rubbish and you know it.

_Do I?_

Yes.

_Humph. I beg to differ._

Like I care what you think!

_Oh, but you_ do_ care what I think. I'm the only person you can trust; open up to… the blind mute shouldn't replace me._

You're a _part_ of me, stupid. Nobody can replace you. You're special.

_I'm starting to think otherwise. But anyway – back to the topic: what are you thinking?!_

Ugh, look, he saved my life; it's only fair I do the same to him.

_Have you gone mad?! Since when did _you_ care about fairness?!_

I don't! But Voldo… he's different. We're… we're similar.

_That is no excuse. You're a ruthless killer who takes pride in other people's suffering. Remember that!_

I _am_ remembering! Did you _see_ the way I battled the intruders? Besides, I –

_You're speaking as though you've taken on a role as the guardian's apprentice! 'I battled the intruders' – you care too much._

Stop it –

_Oh, but I'm right, aren't I?_

No –

_Yes I am. You're growing soft. I thought you were a free bird, _free_ to do whatever you wanted?_

That didn't work out! Even people like me get bored sometimes –

_Get _bored_? Oh, do me a favour. This isn't getting bored, killing innocents is never boring. You've grown to – dare I say it – actually _care_ for someone – it's like you're incapable of thinking for yourself!_

Shut up –

_You _are_ incapable of deciding what to do with yourself, aren't you?_

Shut _up_ –

_You _need_ to follow orders, have someone to guide you – even if it _is_ a blind, mute, _psycho! _And what's funnier is you're taking orders from a slave! Do you _notice_ the way he dresses? Yoshimitsu was right; he _does_ belong in a brothel._ _What are you going to do now, with him passed out upstairs? After all, there's nobody to show you what to do now. Who knows, he might even be dead by the time you get back –_

'SHUT UP!'

Tira's roar of rage echoed throughout the tunnel she was emerging from. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she had arrived at her destination.

It was extremely dark in here, and rats often scurried about the corners of the room. Tira usually hated it, and tried to spend as much of her time away from this part of the chasm as possible. It was full with everything from spare blankets to old trinkets that had been long-forgotten. However, also in this room were the items that gave Tira the chance to perhaps save Voldo's life, and for that, she had never loved this room more.

After taking almost as much as she could carry about her person – everything from makeshift bandages and treatments to canisters of water – Tira headed back up to where she had left Voldo, but not before making a quick stop en route to pick up some food. She had been on a hunt a few days ago and there was quite a bit of wild boar left, as well as some fruit and wild plants which Tira had recently learnt were edible.

Tira hurtled back into Voldo's room in record timing and, though she had only been gone for a mere five minutes, felt the need to check Voldo was still breathing. Grateful to find that he was, Tira got to work immediately, ignoring her own wounds.

_Come on, Tira_, she thought, _this is a chance to prove yourself_.

Tira set the items she had gathered down beside her. The truth was, although Tira possessed a fair amount of medical knowledge from her assassin training, she was at a slight loss as to how use the treatments here in the pit. Looking over the small collection of bottles, most of which were unlabelled, she came to the conclusion that almost all of them contained products made from the plants and other living things outside. This was different to what she was used to, as there had been a doctor and his apprentice at the Bird of Passage who had been responsible for teaching everyone how to deal with their wounds using concoctions from the assassins' apothecary – and they had been anything but natural. Tira knew how to make these concoctions, and used to carry with her small vials containing the most important ones whenever she went out on a mission, however as far as she knew none of the desired ingredients were on this island – and there was clearly no time to go out searching for them. Tira sighed. She would just have to make do with what she had at her current disposal.

Tira bent over Voldo and gently removed the blood-soaked, tattered remains of his top, exposing his lean, muscular chest, which had turned from ghostly and pale to a shocking scarlet from the large number of wounds on his body. Looking frantically about the pile of things she had brought with her, Tira quickly inspected the bottles. She had learned what a few of them contained from her spars with Voldo – although he hadn't meant to hurt her, injury was quite often inevitable – and so she had watched him as he had carefully treated her wounds, making a mental note of what he did. Eventually she had learned to do it herself, and was quite confident in her ability – however, the cuts and bruises she had sustained during her sparring sessions were nowhere near as life-threatening as Voldo's appeared to be currently.

Tira grabbed a medium-sized cloth and opened a canister of water, tipping some of the clear liquid onto the fabric. She slowly brought the cloth over Voldo's torso, gently wiping the blood away to reveal three monstrously large gashes – two across his chest, from one shoulder to the other, and the other a horizontal slash over his stomach – as well as a number of smaller cuts and grazes littering his body. Thankfully these wounds had stopped bleeding so furiously, but it did not change the fact that they were likely to be deadly if they were not treated soon.

Tossing the cloth aside into a shallow dish, Tira reached for a new one and opened one of the bottles she had brought with her from deeper in the chasm. This one smelled faintly of coconut, but there also seemed to be a hint of ginger somewhere, too. Tira knew this to be the strongest treatment out of the ones she recognised, but she was still doubtful as to whether it would do enough. Nevertheless, she cleaned Voldo's wounds with it, taking great care not to open them up further. She would have attempted to stitch them up, too, just as the Bird of Passage doctor used to do, as she had seen various sewing items previously in the store chambers, but she did not know the first thing about sewing and was far too reckless to be accurate. She just hoped she had done the job correctly.

When Tira was finished with the worst of Voldo's wounds on his torso, she quickly cleaned the minor ones before turning to his arms, which were marred with grazes and bruises all over. Shortly after dealing with them, Tira started on Voldo's face and neck, which were, not surprisingly, also covered in blood. She worked around the bindings covering his face, but ultimately decided she needed to remove them in order to get rid all the blood that may have seeped underneath.

Tira unclasped Voldo's gag without hesitation, but her hands stopped just inches from his blindfold. He had never shown her his eyes, ignoring all the hints she had given him, and she had quickly learned not to try and take off the blindfold by force lest she be subjected to Voldo's somewhat unpredictable temper. She was slightly apprehensive about what was lying underneath the blindfold, yet she knew it had to go.

Pushing her nervousness aside, she gently lifted Voldo's head a few inches off the pillow he was resting on, reached behind and undid the blindfold.

That was when she heard a low hiss and felt movement beneath her.

_He was waking up!_

Had she been in any other situation, Tira would have been glad at his regaining consciousness so soon. However, she was not so sure now: waking up half-clothed to find that your companion had not only discovered your anguished state of mind but was about to take away the last piece of secrecy you currently possessed could not be a good feeling.

Tira had gently set Voldo's head back down and was about to lift the blindfold away when a hand swiftly came up and grabbed her wrist, attempting to pull it away from his face. The grip was not firm, Tira noticed. He was clearly too weak to cause her harm.

'Please, I have to,' she said quietly, staring beseechingly at Voldo despite the fact he could not see her. His hand trembled slightly.

After a few agonisingly long moments, Voldo's grip on Tira's wrist slackened and fell away.

'Thank you,' she whispered.

Tira slowly lifted the blindfold off of Voldo's face, uncovering his eyes which were, in fact, closed. He seemed determined not to show her his eyes. Either that or he was waiting for her to finish. After a moment of deliberation she continued her work and wiped the remainder of the blood from around his eyes.

He seemed surprisingly calm – although it was probably down to the fact that he was still incredibly weak. Was he aware that he was in his own room, and that Tira had seen the wall that told her so much about him?

She doubted it, as he had done nothing to push her away just yet. It was only a matter of time before he realised, though – and Tira was not looking forward to seeing his reaction.

She finished wiping away the blood, and set the cloth down carefully, looking at the man lying before her.

She touched his shoulder gently. 'Open your eyes,' she breathed. It was not an order, but more of a… request. She just hoped he would understand that. 'Please,' she added quietly.

The atmosphere was silent and tense, and Tira waited with apprehension. After what seemed like hours, Voldo's eyelids fluttered slowly open.

His irises were grey and clouded, and the pupils were non-existent. He stared blindly around, as though he had not opened his eyes for years. Perhaps he hadn't, Tira wasn't so sure.

She gazed into the depths of his unseeing eyes, and it was only then that she felt his hand feel for hers. She gasped slightly at this sudden, unexpected gesture of… what was it? Need? Comfort? Affection?

Or perhaps he knew… yes, Voldo knew exactly where he was, and what she had seen. Weak and disorientated though he appeared to be, Tira was certain he was aware of his surroundings.

She took his hand in both of hers and held it tightly. Whatever state of distress he was in, Tira would be here for him. She would make sure of that.

* * *

><p>...yeah, not much happened in this chapter, sorry about that. ^^' But we get to see Voldo's eyes! I hope I described them okay, I don't know much about blind eyes.<p>

The action's not over yet, though, so stay tuned for more! As always, reviews greatly appreciated. :)


	13. Discoveries and Distractions

Wow, I am soooooooooooooo sorry for the two month long wait! This was for two reasons: a) this chapter was annoying as hell to write, and b) because I've been really busy with schoolwork and stuff. This year's a busy year for me, what with GCSEs and all, so updates might not be as frequent, but I promise to try and not leave it this long!

Anyway, the next chapter is here, and I hope it was worth the wait.

* * *

><p>The days went by slowly – and it was during these few days that Tira realised once and for all exactly where her loyalty lay.<p>

Any thoughts about betraying Voldo and leaving this place had now been eradicated completely. With him injured, Tira had taken it upon herself to, in a way, take his place, if only temporarily – and consequently spent as much time by his side as possible, not even thinking to go outside for a moment to check for intruders and the like.

Oddly enough, Tira did not feel like fighting at all. Her one concern was Voldo… the madman who she had come to regard as an ally… no, a friend. Someone she had things in common with, which was rare. After all, both had lost someone dear to them, and that loss had… _done_ something to them. Caused them both to behave how they did. Different, yet… so alike.

Although she hated to admit it, Tira knew, deep down, something was not right. Others pointed out her flaws, her strangeness, but Tira had always ignored the comments, pushed them to the back of her mind, forced them away so that they would never resurface again. And it had been ever since the incident with Mother Bird.

Then there was Voldo. Judging by the note Tira had found months ago now, it was clear he had had a close relationship with his master. That he was once… normal – as it was obvious that now he was anything but that. Perhaps it was his master's death that had caused him to be this way? Of course, Tira knew that she would not know anything until she got him to talk – and who knew if that was even possible? Still, she had not given up hope.

She often spoke to him, regardless of the fact that he slept most of the time. It was somewhat calming. She frequently found herself rambling on, but it was nice knowing that she could do just that, not caring whether or not Voldo was listening. Mostly it was just words of comfort, repeatedly, absent-mindedly promising them both that everything would be alright in the end, but occasionally she slipped deeper and deeper and her more precious thoughts escaped her.

Tira also noticed, with mild surprise, that when she offered Voldo's blindfold and gag back to him he seemed to wave them away dismissively. Whether this was because he felt increasingly more comfortable around her or he thought the bindings would be a hindrance, Tira was not so sure, but nevertheless, she liked it. Though she rarely saw his eyes, as he was not often awake, she was entranced by them. They reminded her of a cloudy evening, silver and grey melting into each other flawlessly. Though they were damaged beyond repair, Tira honestly had to admit that, in a strange way, they were truly beautiful.

She had shyly told Voldo this once she had gotten over the surprise, getting a slightly raised eyebrow in return. She doubted he knew what his eyes were like, and he probably didn't care, either, but all the same, she felt the need to express her thoughts.

Tira also found it strangely fascinating how, when Voldo _was_ awake, his gaze would often flutter to and fro quickly, bringing a storm into those cloudy eyes – making it a calm, mysterious night no longer, but adding thunder, rain. She longed to know what colour they had been before he had gone blind. Were they a pretty colour like hers? Violet eyes were rare, but perhaps Voldo may have once had that in common with her, too. Or maybe they were blue? A bright, brilliant blue, like the sky on a perfect summer's day.

And why _had_ Voldo gone blind in the first place? How?

Tira wondered this – not for the first time – as she sat beside Voldo one afternoon. It had been about a week and a half since the attack, and though his health had improved a little, he was still in no fit state to fight. She had changed the bandages on his wounds earlier on in the day and he was now asleep again. Tira gazed at his resting form with fascination, observing every detail on his face. The pale yet oddly smooth skin – which caused her to frequently wonder Voldo's age; the sharp, straight nose; the harsh, pain-filled lines around the eyes, which had been covered by the blindfold until recently, and the cracked lips, worn from the gag he wore.

What was the purpose of those bindings? Were they to indicate that Voldo was blind and mute? Or was it… something else?

Tira turned away from Voldo for a moment and stood up, walking towards the blindfold and the gag that had been forgotten about in a corner of the room ever since they had been taken off. She picked them up, studying them intently. Black, and made of…

Tira fingered the material slowly. Leather?

Frowning, she placed the bindings back down. Just how close had Voldo's and Vercci's relationship _been_?

Glancing back towards the bed to make sure Voldo was still asleep, she opened up the enormous armoire that stood proudly against the wall and, for the first time, took a proper look inside.

She immediately came face to face with a kaleidoscope of colour – crimson, teal, purple, gold – which she did her best to see past. For once she was not_ interested_ in bright colours!

Looking about the inside of the wardrobe, Tira rummaged around as quietly as she could, regularly looking back to make sure Voldo did not stir, and panicking a little inside if he did. Yes, he could not see, but that was not to say he would not suss out what she was doing…

Pushing aside all the garish colours dominating the space, Tira began to grow impatient. She did not exactly know what she was looking for, but at the same time, she _did_… though she still knew little of the man's personality, his clothing was the one thing that would tell her what it was like. Although she had known him for a while, she had only seen the colours. The details of his garments did not interest her until now!

Peeking round at the unconscious man behind her, Tira carried on searching, abandoning the armoire and rifling through the drawers around it. However, the bottom one, she noticed, appeared to be stuck – either it had not been opened for years or it was locked. Leaning down, she found a rather large key hole, but realised with dismay that the key could be anywhere – and she certainly did not have time to go searching.

Then another idea sprang to mind. What about Voldo's katars?

Tira got up and moved towards the edge of the bed, where the weapons were lying neatly. They were long and sharp, were they not? They would do.

Taking one of them – whether it was Manas or Ayus, Tira could not be sure – she went back to the key hole and placed one of the blades in the lock, twisting it around carefully. Part of her felt a little guilty for invading his privacy, but curiosity could not be helped, now, could it? A moment later she heard a _click_ and, smiling to herself, drew the blade out of the hole and opened the drawer.

What awaited her inside was…_ intriguing_, to say the least.

An intricately designed outfit – black with crimson details – more suggestive than anything else Tira had seen Voldo wear: leather, with a lack of fabric at the back where one is usually sure to cover oneself; silver-grey spines like those of a lizard from the nape of the neck to the small of the back; copious amounts of fishnet; frightening-looking bindings around the face, and black boots that were reinforced with what looked like steel, one higher than the other.

There was also a small object wrapped in cloth that sat in the corner of the drawer. Unwrapping it, Tira discovered a dagger that looked as though it could have been thousands of years old. The blade was chipped in places, and there were still a few stubborn bloodstains that clearly had refused to come off. Studying it closely, Tira noticed the letter 'V' carved into the hilt. Whether it stood for Voldo or Vercci, however, she could not be sure. Alongside the blade was what appeared to be another note:

_Remember this, my dear?_

Again, this one looked old, and the red ink had faded a little – at least, Tira _thought_ it was ink. The writing was elegant, and the parchment on which the message had been written had turned yellow with age.

_My dear..._

Tira frowned. What sort of Master spoke to their servant in such an endearing way? That was, of course, if the note _was_ from Vercci… but then who else could it have been from?

Putting everything back carefully and locking the drawer again, Tira moved back to sit beside Voldo, pondering. From what she knew so far, it _sounded_ as though there was more to this relationship between the two than she thought… yet even she knew that it was perfectly disgraceful for anyone to be in a romantic relationship with their _servant_!

And that was not all; for they were… they were both _men_.

Tira giggled to herself. That would _certainly_ make for an interesting session in the bedroom, to say the least. And it explained why Voldo seemed to be obsessed with his Master… because he clearly was something _more_ than that.

Just when she thought she had sussed out the man's unpredictability.

She was broken out of her thoughts by her growling stomach, and realised with irritation that supplies had been running low as she had not been out of the Money Pit to hunt ever since Voldo had fallen ill. Though she was reluctant to leave him, she knew she had to get food for them both. Getting up, she picked up Eiserne – who had been sitting in a corner unused for the past week and a half – and headed out of the room.

Skipping up the wide halls, Tira began to ascend the vast chamber. It was only now, however, that she began to concentrate on something else other than Voldo: the source of energy.

She thought back to the events last week, her thoughts replaying over and over. What _was_ the source?! It can't have been the katana – which Tira was fairly sure now was called _Yoshimitsu_, not _Soul Edge_ as the plaque read.

Then… what was it…?

Tira stopped in her tracks, and looked in the direction of the weapon gallery. There was nothing wrong with being curious… and she'd only be a few minutes…

Before she knew it Tira had taken the detour and had arrived at the magnificent room for the first time in what seemed like forever. The carpet, she noticed, was now stained crimson from the blood of the soldiers.

She walked towards the katana, feeling the energy grow stronger, and lifted it off of the cushion upon which it rested, examining it carefully. Pfft, she didn't care what Yoshimitsu said; to her, this was still just any old katana, and it certainly was not Soul Edge. It _definitely_ wasn't the source of the energy she was looking for. Yet… it was still here. Where was it?

Unless…

Peering back at the velvet cushion, Tira set the katana on the ground and lifted the cushion from the shelf.

Ah.

_Found it._

There, lying on the bare stone shelf was a small fragment… a sword fragment. And… was it… _glowing_…?

Tira reached slowly towards it. How _pretty_ it was…

As she picked it up, she felt a surge of energy rip through her. She was suddenly… stronger… she felt lighter… more… _alive_. It was so deliciously evil, and fuelled her sudden desire to fight! Oh, she wanted to kill, now, yes – she needed to maim and torture and destroy!

The fragment glowed ferociously for a moment, a beautiful red light, before going back to its natural state.

Tira smiled. Pocketing the fragment, she left the room and carried on outside.

* * *

><p>Tira reached the open air in less than five minutes. How odd it felt, being back up here. She vividly remembered what had happened last time – the fight with that stupid Manji warrior! Come to think of it, she really did need to dispose of the body, which was no doubt rotting by now. Since last week she had not concentrated on anything else but keeping Voldo alive, but she knew as she scanned the clearing that she had to get rid of the corpse sooner or later.<p>

Wait.

The body. Where was it?

Tira stared hard at the place that she fought Yoshimitsu, but it was clear that he had gone.

He was still alive...?!

'Dammit!' Tira growled in annoyance. Clearly his helmet had been harder than it looked. She may have knocked him unconscious, but it did not look as though she had killed him.

She walked quickly towards where the body should have been, finding not Yoshimitsu but instead a few spots of dried blood on the ground. Looking a few feet ahead, she spotted a few more.

Oh, this was all too easy.

It was not long before Tira was following a trail of blood – along with some footprints – through the greenery of the island, over rocks and under large vines that hung like nooses. Yes, she was getting distracted, but it would only take a moment to finish Yoshimitsu off once and for all and then she would finally be able to get back to what she had come out to do in the first place! Besides, it would perhaps satisfy her hunger for killing, would it not?

The path the Manji warrior had taken was long and winding, and along the way Tira came across several larger dents in the ground where Yoshimitsu had clearly stopped to rest. It was clear she had weakened him, but who knew how much he had recovered in less than two weeks?

After about twenty minutes Tira reached the edge of the forest and stepped out onto shores similar to those she had washed up on all those months ago. Looking around, she breathed in the salty air. The summer had long gone by now and it was beginning to grow cold, and the sun was low in the sky, casting orange and red rays through the clouds. The sand was comfortingly soft beneath her feet, as well as incredibly smooth, and though a lot of the blood on the ground had disappeared now, the footprints were as clear as ever. She scanned the trail, which led up the beach, and saw that it finished at a gigantic ship about seven hundred feet away.

Yoshimitsu's ship.

Smiling to herself, Tira surveyed the landscape once more. She hadn't seen it in an awfully long time.

But wait… what was that?

Tira squinted. In in the opposite direction of the ship, at the other end of the beach, was… well, _another_ ship. Had it been there when she arrived? There was nothing leading it up to it, which led Tira to believe that it had.

How had she not noticed it before?!

To whom did it belong? Something told her it was not Yoshimitsu, because why on earth would he leave one ship at either end of the beach? It did not make sense.

But then…

_Tira, you're getting too distracted. Hurry up!_

Interrupted from her thoughts, Tira began to swiftly follow the footprints, and within minutes she had reached the enormous vessel to which they led.

Climbing nimbly up the side, she surveyed the deck, carefully keeping herself hidden from view.

And there he was. Clearly the last of those wretched bandits, Tira watched him stealthily as he assembled a small collection of katana – including, she noticed with amusement, the one she had snapped. Fairly weak for a blade – she hadn't put much effort into breaking it at all!

He had his back to her and was separated from her by a pile of crates, causing him to move in and out of her line of vision – but not for long.

Tira jumped noisily down onto the upper deck, grinning madly. Yoshimitsu whipped around, the kabuto helmet he was wearing giving an equally insane expression. He raised his sword defensively, crouching into his fighting stance.

'Ah, young girl, I was wondering when I'd see thee again. Come to return my sword?'

'I've come to take your life,' Tira growled back, 'and my name is _Tira_!'

Yoshimitsu giggled slightly. 'Well, _Tira_, thou failed to do so last time. Are you that naïve to think that you will succeed now?'

Tira snarled, about to throw back a rude remark, when she realised something.

'You had plenty of chances to come back and kill me – why didn't you?'

'Oh, something came over me and I felt rather generous. Why not let you take your time, spend what little of it is left with the mad one? After all, it was only a matter of days before you discovered I was gone.'

'You – you _knew_ I was coming?'

'But of course. Someone like thyself will not stop until their enemy is destroyed, am I correct?'

Tira glared at him. 'What would you have done if I hadn't come out?'

'We both know that idea is of utmost irrelevance. You would have starved to death otherwise.'

Tira's eyes narrowed. 'Enough talk!' she spat, 'from now on, let our blades speak for us!'

Internally she was laughing at the fact that Yoshimitsu no longer had the weapon that shared his name – what an easy task this would be!

Yoshimitsu laughed. 'I can assure thee my blade will shout over thine own one. Now, _repent!_'

A split second later he was charging at her at full speed, and it was all Tira could do to not have her head severed from her shoulders as she ducked out of his way. He span around sharply, as did she, and the two of them swung their weapons forwards, the clash of metal ringing through the air.

Yoshimitsu forced his katana through the middle of Eiserne, but Tira used this to her advantage and snapped her ring blade quickly to the side, twisting his arm and forcing him to withdraw the sword. Giggling gleefully, she somersaulted towards him, landing in the middle of her weapon and spinning it around her waist in a circular motion. Though Yoshimitsu blocked her attacks, Tira could see him struggling to keep his balance from the blows, and eventually he stepped back out of her range.

'Humph, coward!' Tira muttered under her breath, before calling, 'what's the matter, Yoshimitsu? Getting tired already?!'

In response to this, Yoshimitsu lunged at her, sweeping her legs with his, and landed on top of her chest, bringing his sword down towards her face. Tira barely managed to block the blow, receiving a deep wound in her shoulder.

'Not quite,' the Manji warrior replied, a hint of malice in his high voice.

Hissing in pain, Tira aimed for Yoshimitsu's arm and, upon hearing him yelp at the unexpected hit, pushed him off of her, rolling them both over so that she was now on top of him.

'Shame,' she whispered gleefully, her eyes wide, 'because it's time for you to sleep now!'

As she lifted her trusty ring blade high, however, she felt a sudden sharp pain on the side of her torso. Looking down, she saw Yoshimitsu's katana embedded deeply in her side, and the grey-green outfit she was wearing was beginning to turn red with blood.

Gasping at the pain, Tira half-collapsed from her position and Yoshimitsu wasted no time in throwing her off of him, causing her to land in the pile of crates, Eiserne flying from her grip. She hit her head on the wood and she watched with wide eyes as Yoshimitsu got up and strode towards her. Her vision was blurry and her head throbbed, and she flinched as Yoshimitsu pointed his sword at her neck.

'I wonder… what would entertain me more? Killing thee now, and finishing off the servant afterwards? Or executing him first, and watching thy reaction to his corpse? I could even drag thee over there now and kill him in front of thee. What sayest thou, _Tira_?'

She snarled at him, mustering up her remaining strength to speak.

'Touch him and I will make you pay – I swear it!'

She glared at him with utter hatred and revulsion. Had Voldo been well she would not have cared what Yoshimitsu did to her – he would have died his hands anyway. But he was _not_ well – and no doubt wondering where she was! And if she was not there to protect him, then who would be…?

'I find it amusing how thou hast grown to care for that madman. Before I decide thy fate, answer me this: why?'

_Because I can relate to him, he can relate to me, and we – we _fit_! We are both outcasts, we both know pain inside out, and we are both _different_ to everyone else. We work together in a way that no other pair can! Yes, congratulations, I can deny it no longer, I care for him and I know he cares for me, too! We are the same, you stupid, _irritating_ man!_

'I don't have to answer to the likes of _you_!' Tira spat. Her world was beginning to darken, and she vaguely noticed it was starting to rain.

'Very well… then thou leavest me no choice.'

His voice seemed faint, distant.

'_I do not care whether you live or die. The choice is yours to make.'_

And with that, Tira saw the katana move away from her neck and instead felt it plunge into her abdomen, her screech of agony echoing through the air. The sword was pulled out as sharply as it had been forced in, drawing out another distressed wail from her green lips.

The last thing she remembered was the sound of Yoshimitsu's fading footsteps before darkness consumed her completely.

* * *

><p>Dun dun DUUUUUN!<p>

I'm sure you all know where Yoshimitsu's off to now. *grins evilly*

**Also, I'm currently sketching out the outfit of Voldo's that I described earlier in the chapter, so watch this space and I should post a link to it soon. Just to give you an idea of how I imagined it when I wrote it.**

**Oh, and another thing: any Voldo/Vercci shippers here? After this is finished (which won't be for a while yet, I can tell you now), I will be writing my version of Voldo's life before Soul Calibur. You know, when he was normal and stuff (hard to imagine, I know). The dagger and things that you read about above might come into it, too, along with some - yep, you guessed it, Voldo/Vercci yaoi goodness. I'm thinking of perhaps even expanding Voldo's story to after Vercci died and all throughout the SC games, but I need to think about that.**

**But yeah, just to give you a little preview of what I'm coming up with next.**

**As always, reviews gratefully accepted. :3**


	14. Bird in Flight

Hi all, apologies for the delay. This term's been so busy it's ridiculous. So many exams to revise for in January! Thankfully we broke up for the Christmas holidays today so I thought I'd get this chapter posted before I put it off any longer. ^^' The next one might not be for a while, though. At the very latest it'll be February, once mocks are out of the way. DX

Also: I don't know if I've already mentioned this to some, but I've edited the summary, if anyone's interested. You know, to make WoI sound a little more... appealing? XD

Anyway, here's the latest chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>'N-no – don't make me!'<p>

Eiserne's horrified cry echoed through the freezing air. Her hair was a mess, her clothes were ripped, and she was bleeding badly from where she had tried and failed to fight off the senior members of the organisation. She was now standing in the middle of an enormous crowd of her fellow assassins, all of whom were shouting and chanting for her to just get on with the task at hand: the infamous 'Sky Burial'.

In front of her, bound and gagged, was Mother Bird, kneeling silently on the hard ground, her thick grey-black hair tumbling past her narrow shoulders like a waterfall of smoke. She did not look frightened, or angry. She looked... expectant. It was as if she had known this was coming. She looked in defeated at the colourful young assassin standing some metres away from her before bowing her head, anticipating the blow.

Eiserne's eyes widened and she shook her head, terrified, tears beginning to gather at her violet eyes. Her ring blade clattered out of her shaking hands, and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing.

'I can't – please, not her –' she begged, looking desperately up at one of the senior assassins who were in charge of this horrific ordeal. Though she had been inured to the sight of death from a young age, she could not bring herself to slay her mother-figure, her mentor, the woman who had taught her everything she knew about the ways of assassination.

And they were making Eiserne kill her.

'She had to pass,' they told her, 'prove that she was one of them.' And she knew what that meant. She had to kill without any emotion at all, no matter who it was – and to do that she would have to kill Mother Bird as a rite of passage.

No... no, no –

'Eiserne Drossel, pull yourself together.'

The cold voice belonged to the lieutenant. The stoic, stern lieutenant, who cared about nothing but showing off his rank and looking down his nose at others. He had probably killed off many loved ones without any feeling at all in order to have climbed to his high position.

Eiserne turned her gaze pleadingly towards the Bird of Passage leader, who in turn watched her intently, his eyes like a hawk, but making no movement whatsoever.

The lieutenant sighed irritably, his eyes flashing. 'Drossel, this is getting ridiculous! Do it!'

But Eiserne only shook her head, gazing at the senior organisation members and Mother Bird, who looked disappointed in her, her eyes tired and weary.

Mother Bird would have expected her to perform better now, to not make a show of herself. This was her final test, and yet here it was, falling to pieces!

The lieutenant nodded slightly, looking past Eiserne.

'It would appear that she needs a little... _help_.'

Eiserne frowned slightly. What did he mean by –?

A split second later, however, before she could gather her thoughts, she felt herself being lifted onto her feet by someone behind her, her ring blade being thrust back into her hands.

'What are you –?'

That was when she felt herself being forced forwards, staggering a little. One of the other assassins had his hands on top of hers, making her grip her weapon, and was steering her harshly towards Mother Bird. Her eyes widened and she struggled against him.

'Get _off_ of me – I won't do it – I _can't_ do it –'

She could hear the jeers growing louder.

'Hah! I knew something had to give! One of the best assassins – of course there was a catch!'

'Grown too attached to your mentor, Eiserne? Aw, such a _shame_...'

'Pfft, she's not a proper assassin. You've disgraced the Bird of Passage, I hope you're happy!'

Eiserne shivered with anger at these cruel words. She _was_ an assassin, she _was_ a fighter! She could not let herself be brought down by everyone else!

'I haven't disgraced anyone,' she muttered through gritted teeth, trying to shake the other assassin off of her, 'but I – I can't – kill – not her –'

But her attempts were fruitless, and within seconds she had arrived in front of Mother Bird's kneeling form. Tears streamed down her face and she looked away, closing her eyes, begging for this ordeal to stop.

And the jeers continued.

'You're pathetic!'

Eiserne could feel herself trembling, forcing herself to try and block out the shouts which hit her like bullets.

'Too much emotion!'

She gritted her teeth, gripping her ring blade tighter.

'Weak!'

At this, Eiserne's eyes snapped open in rage, and she succeeded in flinging the assassin off her, raising her weapon up high.

'I'm – not – WEAK!'

With a roar of rage she brought her weapon down harshly. Half a second later she heard a tiny, breathless moan of pain and her blade collided with something.

Flesh.

Eiserne dared to look down and regretted it immediately. Still gripping her weapon, she caught sight of it deeply embedded in the back of Mother Bird's neck, blood spewing everywhere.

'N-no...' she whispered hoarsely, as she realised what she had just done. Horrified by her actions, Eiserne wrenched the blade away from Mother Bird and watched as she slumped to the ground, dead.

Eiserne collapsed, her weapon clattering out of her trembling hands, and an anguished wail escaped her lips, piercing the air. A deadly silence at what had just happen invaded the air, and she caught sight of her fellow assassins' shocked yet impressed faces before covering her own with her hands and crying. Distantly she heard the leader of the Bird of Passage speak, his gravelly voice shattering the silence.

'She is ready.'

The voices of those around her seemed to fade, and when Eiserne stopped sobbing the scene seemed to have completely changed.

It was quiet, and Tira was now kneeling on a worn carpet, though her vision appeared to be missing despite the fact that she had uncovered her face. Panicking a little at her lack of sight, she felt her body and realised that she was not clothed in her Bird of Passage garments, but in a tight suit that exposed her midriff – as well as another part of her body which one was usually sure to cover.

'W-w–'

_What is this?!_ She wanted to say, yet her speech was muffled, and she realised a moment later there was something blocking her mouth.

She put a hand to her lips.

A – a _gag_?

Without thinking, Tira tore it off furiously. Why was she dressed like this?

More importantly, _where was she?_

Then it hit her.

She was wearing... Voldo's... outfit...?

That explained why she could not see!

Tira felt around her eyes – which were closed – and her fingers came into contact with a strip of leather. Ripping off the blindfold, she opened her eyes.

She was kneeling at the foot of the gigantic statue of Vercci and, looking down, she was that she was indeed wearing the same purple-and-gold suit that Voldo had worn on the day that the two of them had met. Feeling around for her weapon, she discovered not her trusty Eiserne Drossel sitting by her side but Manas and Ayus. Tentatively picking them up, she studied them carefully. They were extremely difficult to use, she realised as she swiped the air experimentally, and she much preferred her ring blade.

Standing up, Tira slowly turned around, catching sight of – what appeared to be –

...herself...?!

Wait...

There was a figure standing on the other side of the caved room, donned in a bright yet damaged green-and-purple outfit. Tira's outfit.

Yet, who...?

Tira slowly made her way towards the person, gripping the strange weapons for no apparent reason, and as she drew closer she realised exactly who it was.

Yet he looked oddly... younger, in some way.

He had the same milky eyes, yet his gaze no longer flickered. In fact, he happened to be looking her dead in the eye. There were no lines on his face, and his skin seemed to have regained some colour, making it no longer pale and sickly. His lips were smooth, not dry and chapped from the gag he usually wore, and his expression was not of pain but of peace, contentment.

He looked almost... _handsome_.

They stared at each other for a moment, before Voldo placed one hand on Tira's shoulder and the other on the nape of her neck. He leaned in close, so that his lips were inches away from her ear, and his words came out in a shuddering, strangled, broken whisper, struggling out among the hisses, sending shivers up her spine:

'...h-he... is... '

Tira's eyes widened. He had... spoken?!

Yet... she could not understand him.

'Voldo... what – who –?!'

'Coming... c-closer... time – no time!

Voldo's voice was hoarse and accented, and his grip on Tira tightened.

'Time? Time for what? Who is coming? Voldo, please!'

He shook her, tilting her chin and forcing her to look at him. Shaking his head slightly at her lack of understanding, he frowned in desperation and began murmuring quick words in a foreign language, one that Tira could not understand. She presumed it was Italian, but she could not be sure. All these European languages sounded the same to her.

Now Voldo's speech was surprisingly fluent, and it became obvious to Tira as she listened that English could not be his mother tongue. But, try as she might, she could not pick out any words that she understood, apart from one: '_Tira_.'

Voldo's hand fell abruptly from her face and he stopped talking as quickly as he had begun. His eyes were wide, desperate for her to understand, yet still she shook her head apologetically.

'I'm sorry...'

Voldo's stormy eyes suddenly flashed and he growled impatiently, the flicker of language dying away on his lips as he returned to his original, hissing self. He appeared to grow a little older, just as Tira was used to seeing him, but this time he was different. He was... frightening. Fierce.

He began to reach for her neck, and she quickly backed away in fear.

'V-Voldo, it's me – Tira! I'm not an intruder; you don't have to fight me –'

He took no notice, and his gaze flickered, leading Tira to believe that his sight was once again non-existent. He bared his teeth and crouched low like an animal, before springing towards her, pinning her down.

Now on top of her, Voldo twisted the katars out of Tira's hands and held one to her throat, spearing the ground next to her head with the other. He was beginning to scare her.

'Voldo, n-no – listen –'

He silenced her with a loud, menacing hiss, and she whimpered slightly, feeling herself tremble. He was dangerously close, not to mention downright terrifying. She struggled a little, trying to coax some answers out of him.

'Voldo – you said – you said he's coming – ugh, but who are you talking about?! And something about time...'

Voldo froze, and began to slowly get up. Thinking she had been reprieved, Tira also shakily got to her feet. Eyeing him warily, Tira began to walk softly backwards, away from him, while he stood perfectly still. After a moment Tira, too, stopped, hardly daring to breathe.

Then the man's intentions became clear.

Watching as he crouched low again, it took Tira a second too late to register that he had once again launched himself at her at an impeccable speed. Her eyes widened and she attempted to shield her face from the weapons now aimed at it, screaming in desperation for him to stop.

'V-Voldo – VOLDO, NO!'

Tira's eyes snapped open.

She was breathing heavily, and it took her a moment to remember what had happened. What had been real and what hadn't. Mother Bird... the assassins... they had been illusions. Nightmares from the past. Curses which she wished to bury at the bottom of her memory forever.

Then there had been Voldo... the intruder who was 'coming'... what...?

Tira's heart skipped a beat as it dawned on her. The recent events came flooding back and she sat up a little straighter against the barrels digging into her back.

Yoshimitsu – Voldo – there had been trouble – a fight – and he had stabbed her – who knew how long she had been unconscious for?! He was probably headed straight for the pit – to finish Voldo off now!

Groaning at the unbearable pain which she had only just become aware of, Tira staggered to her feet, tiredly grabbing Eiserne – which, thankfully, had not taken any damage – from the deck of the ship. Closing her eyes, she took a moment to try and ignore the agony in her stomach, which was bleeding heavily. As she leaned on her ring blade she could hear the sickening droplets of blood as they hit the flood, and forced herself to stand up straight, tears gathering in her violet eyes from the discomfort.

Tira opened her eyes, relieved to find it was still light – if only just. With any luck, Yoshimitsu had gotten lost on the way to the pit, buying her some time. Turning around, she dashed as quickly as she could towards the edge of the ship. She climbed down it with difficulty, crash-landing at the bottom a few minutes later as her wounds threw her off balance.

She stumbled a little as she got up, the agony intensifying. She began to trace Yoshimitsu's footsteps in the sand, cursing when they vanished at the edge of the beach. There was no fresh trail to follow now. Remembering what she could before she had encountered Yoshimitsu, Tira made her way painfully along the path she thought she had taken before, relying heavily on Eiserne to keep her upright. As she walked, however, the pain seemed to numb a little, making it slightly easier to move.

It took Tira considerably longer to reach the entrance of the pit, and along the way she noticed where Yoshimitsu had cut down the vines that hung from the trees on his way before her. She began to follow the route he had taken, altering her own course and trying her best to catch up to him before it was too late. This route twisted and turned, and it was evident that Yoshimitsu clearly did not fully remember how to get there, as Tira came to a few dead ends. She convinced herself, however, that she was moving at a quicker pace than Yoshimitsu had been, and soon came to realise that her need to get to Voldo far overpowered the drawbacks that her wounds brought.

Within half an hour Tira had reached the familiar grassy clearing again, and she smiled slightly in spite of herself. However, it was not over yet. It was beginning to get dark, and she knew the hardest part of all this was yet to come. Grimacing, she made her way to the side of the pit and hopped over the edge, bracing herself for the pain of landing. The impact made her head pound slightly but she quickly got up and dashed through the halls of the chasm – which were incredibly dark as she had neglected to light the torches given the recent events. She was thankful she did not have far to travel and as she reached the end of the stone corridor she heard an annoyingly familiar voice through the door, which looked as though it had been hacked apart. She stood by the wall, out of sight, and listened.

'_Well, _guardian_? Where hast thou put my weapon?'_

There was a pause, and Tira's head began to fill with questions. Was Voldo awake? Had he been wounded even more? Why couldn't she hear any movement?!

'_Ah, it is of no matter. I shall find it after I have killed thee. Such a _shame_, slave, that thou hast neither the mind nor the language to tell me…'_

Tira heard a quiet hiss and her eyes narrowed. She jumped in front of the door, slashing the rest of it away to reveal what was going on behind it.

Yoshimitsu was sitting on top of Voldo, pinning him down, and holding a katana to his throat. Voldo was gripping the warrior's wrist, trying to direct it away from his neck, struggling feebly underneath him. Tira could see he was weak – and she knew that one wrong move would mean the end of the guardian for sure.

* * *

><p>Yeah, it was sort of a filler chapter. Not much happened, but... it had to be done. Ehehe... ^^'<p>

Chances are I won't be posting before the end of 2012 (but you never know, you might be lucky XD), so I'd just like to take the chance to wish all of you wonderful readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! A big thank you to those who have reviewed, too - you are all amazing. :D


	15. Confrontation

...okay, so I lied. XD Really wanted to get this up as my present to all you readers. Now the next update will _definitely _be in February. ^_^ Enjoy!

* * *

><p>At Tira's loud entry both men paused and turned their heads towards the doorway.<p>

'Ah, I see thou hast recovered,' growled Yoshimitsu, _'how disappointing_!'

Tira's eyes narrowed and she moved swiftly into her fighting stance. 'Get away from him,' she hissed.

Yoshimitsu chuckled. 'Not a chance.'

It appeared, however, that Voldo had taken note of Yoshimitsu's sudden halt. Hissing madly, he made the most of it and wrenched his arm away from his neck, and Tira seized her chance. With a cry of fury, she flew at Yoshimitsu, knocking him off Voldo and into the marked wall behind him.

Yoshimitsu howled in surprise and avoided Tira's raging attempt to sever his head from his shoulders. She had quickly learned to ignore the agony she was in as she was only focused on one thing: kill.

Yoshimitsu, however, managed to knee her in the stomach, making her gasp as the pain came flooding back, and kicked her off him. He swung his sword at her, aiming for her shoulder, but Tira brought Eiserne up and blocked the blow. Standing up, she faced Yoshimitsu, vaguely aware of Voldo reaching for his katars in the background. She brought Eiserne into contact with his legs, tripping him up, before pushing him headfirst into the wall and leaping across the room to where Voldo's now standing form was.

'No,' she said hurriedly, eyeing Yoshimitsu who was recovering quickly, 'he's mine – don't wear yourself out. If I need help, I'll –'

He hissed loudly, cutting her off. She touched his shoulder gently.

'Voldo, please, I –'

He wrenched himself out of her grip and rasped even louder. Yoshimitsu was now running towards them at full speed. Eyes widening, she pulled Voldo out of the way before they were both hit, watching as he collided with an ornate wall mirror which smashed on top of him.

'Okay,' she breathed, nudging Voldo, 'you win. Let's try and kill him this time, huh?!'

Voldo rasped in reply and dived at Yoshimitsu. However, it was shaky and off-centre, and though Voldo still managed to deal some damage to the ninja, Tira knew he still was not strong enough to wound him badly.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Tira watched in anticipation as Voldo swiped Yoshimitsu's side, only to get a slash across the face in return. Hissing menacingly, he swung a katar at his neck and Tira watched as the blow was blocked before joining the fight herself.

She leapt at Yoshimitsu, aiming for his throat just as Voldo had done. He ducked to avoid his head being severed from his shoulders and swept her legs with his, tripping her up. Voldo caught her and quickly forced her back onto her feet with a hiss of impatience before unleashing, Tira had to admit, some of the _weirdest _moves his fighting style had to offer, moves that even she had never seen before.

Voldo grabbed Yoshimitsu and forced him backwards before straddling his _neck_, seemingly crushing it with his legs. The latter, clearly disgusted, quickly stabbed him in the side and elbowed him away.

'Vile demon!' he shouted, outraged at what he had just been subjected to. A small part of Tira couldn't blame him – Voldo could be quite... _full on_ when he wanted to.

He was now hissing in pain, holding his side which was now pouring with blood, before crouching low, preparing to attack again. He did so, leaping onto Yoshimitsu's chest and bringing his katars round his body to stab him in the back, before crawling off him like a spider. Tira shivered, watching, before taking advantage of Yoshimitsu's dazed, horrified state and slicing his chest with Eiserne, though his armour made it difficult to do so.

The ninja stepped backwards to avoid any more attacks from Eiserne only to be slashed fiercely by Voldo, who had been waiting behind him. Smiling, Tira glared at him.

'Aw, isn't that a _shame_... you're trapped like a rat now!'

In response to this Yoshimitsu quickly thrust his sword behind him and Tira watched in horror as it sank deeply into Voldo's abdomen. He moaned in agony before collapsing on top of the broken glass from the mirror, his weapons flying out of his gnarled hands.

'I think not,' Yoshimitsu declared, before running full speed at Tira who had been watching in horror Voldo's trembling form on the carpet, now stained even darker with crimson. She barely had time to block the ferocious blow to her face and roughly shoved Yoshimitsu away before kneeing him in the groin. He stumbled, yelping in pain, but managed to slice her thigh as he went down. He grabbed her ankle and pulled, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground as well, her weapon loose in her hand.

Before she knew it Yoshimitsu had seated himself on top of her just as he had done with Voldo – and she knew what was coming. Grinning cruelly, Tira brought her leg up and kicked him in the back, moving to the side as he fell forwards to avoid being crushed by that annoyingly huge helmet of his. She got out from underneath him, standing over him as he rolled over on his back to face her.

Tira lifted Eiserne high, ready to sever Yoshimitsu's neck from his shoulders, but looking down she saw he still had his katana in his hand, and within a split second she had leapt out of the way of the oncoming swipe to her legs, landing between the two men. The ninja got up quickly and flew at her, and though she managed to block the majority of the blows she still received a few gashes on her shoulder. Emitting a quiet gasp of pain she swiftly got back at him by shoving him backwards and swiping at his chest with her ring blade. The force of her attack bought her a few seconds, and she reached onto the ground behind her.

'Might need to borrow this,' she said quickly before grabbing a katar and flinging it at Yoshimitsu.

Unfortunately Yoshimitsu saw this coming and evaded the katar - if only just. It skimmed past his shoulder and hit the wall, and Tira growled furiously as she watched it do so.

'Thou wilt need to try much harder if thou art to harm me!' she heard him say, 'or are thy wounds getting the better of thee?'

This brought Tira's thoughts back to the injury she had sustained earlier and she noticed for the first time in a while the agony it brought with it.

'You _wish_,' she spat back, 'it's useless trying to taunt me - we both know you're going to die soon. How does it feel to know your death is right around the corner? Aw, and you're never gonna see your precious sword again, isn't that a _shame_?' she mocked.

'Foolish girl. Thou seemest so sure of thyself. Pity... fighters such as thee usually meet their end quickly - and whilst gloating about the victory they have yet to achieve.'

Yoshimitsu gestured to Voldo, and Tira glanced quickly behind her to find that he had silently fallen unconscious while they had been talking.

'The slave of the merchant is already wounded. He will not last much longer, look at him!'

The ninja took a step towards Voldo. 'Why don't I just put him out of his _misery _–?'

Tira stepped back, throwing out her arms in an attempt to shield the man behind her. 'Come any closer and you'll be _begging_ for death by the time all this is over!' she snarled, her eyes flashing.

Yoshimitsu laughed. 'Is that so? Let me remind thee why I have come here: to put an end to Evil – and his _assistant_.'

'Voldo – is – not – _evil!'_

'Anyone with ties to Soul Edge clearly does not have the best of intentions. The lunatic's master went mad searching for it, of course thou must know about it…'

Tira's eyes narrowed. Ties to Soul Edge…?

'Or, judging by thy expression… perhaps thou dost not…'

She looked round apprehensively at Voldo, who was still unconscious. Something told her he would not have taken kindly to hearing the two of them conversing about his past, and she snapped back to look at Yoshimitsu again before he had the chance to attack her, noticing vaguely that neither of them had lowered their weapons.

'Tell me,' she commanded.

Yoshimitsu cocked his head. 'He has not told thee himself…?'

Tira sighed. 'Now _that_ is a stupid question, even for you.'

Yoshimitsu ignored the comment. 'I suppose there is no harm in telling thee – you will die anyway. What is it thou wishest to know?'

'Everything – and preferably _before_ he wakes up!'

'I can assure thee that will not happen in a hurry.'

Tira scowled, keeping a firm grip on Eiserne. She still did not trust this man, but he was offering information, so…

'Of course, thou art too young to remember the stories circling the globe about the infamous weapons merchant Vercci – thy _comrade's _master,' he said, 'he was feared by many – eventually becoming known as the Merchant of Death.'

'What was with the nickname?'

'He became involved with the Spanish Armada. Need I say more?'

'Huh. I see. Go on.'

'Though Vercci acquired many weapons during his life, the one he desired most was Soul Edge. His lust for the blade drove him mad until his death, and since then… what became of his servant is… well, thou hast seen for thyself. He followed in his master's footsteps and turned into a lunatic himself! He has been guarding Vercci's treasures ever since, it seems.'

Tira was silent, pondering deeply. Vercci's want for Soul Edge… the katana in the weapon gallery… this was all beginning to add up…

'Why did he take your sword?' she asked abruptly.

'How should I know?' Yoshimitsu replied indignantly.

'Isn't it obvious?! He thinks it's Soul Edge.'

Had Tira been able to see Yoshimitsu's face, she probably would have seen his jaw drop and his eyes widen.

'…_what?!_'

'You said it was tainted with the energy, right? That must have been enough for him. And… where it's being stored… it says _Soul Edge _on the plaque –'

Tira stopped herself before she mentioned the shard, which she knew for definite now had to have come from the Cursed Sword.

'Thou knowest where it is, then?' Yoshimitsu said, his voice betraying a hint of amusement.

'I – well, _yes _– but just listen! Vercci was searching for it before he died, and…'

'…so his servant must still be carrying on the search,' Yoshimitsu finished off, 'I had no idea he was still looking for it… and after all these years…'

The two of them were silent.

'And so, _Yoshimitsu_, you were wrong and your reason for hating Voldo is stupid,' Tira added, her original attitude towards the Manji warrior now coming back, 'he didn't know that he picked up the wrong sword – and probably still doesn't. Still planning on _killing_ him, are you?!'

'He is still a thief.'

'It was a misunderstanding!' Tira snarled.

'Very well. Give me back my weapon and I will consider sparing thy lives.'

Tira snorted. 'Oh, _please_, do you listen to yourself? You were never in a position to kill us in the first place… besides…'

She looked briefly at Voldo, then back at Yoshimitsu. 'We both know I can't give you the sword… at least, not without… _talking him round first_… and that's not gonna happen easily, you _know_ that!'

She cursed herself inside for giving in to Yoshimitsu, feeling guilty for having this conversation.

'But then again…' she added hesitantly, 'if it is yours… and I admit that I think it _is_…' She glared at him. 'You have to promise to get _lost_. Leave. Leave this island. And don't come back.'

'Hah! I had no intention of staying. What possessed thee to think that I would?!'

Tira's eyes narrowed. 'And you also owe me – _both _of us – an apology.'

Yoshimitsu was silent.

'What's the matter, _Yoshi_?' she taunted, laughing inwardly at the indignant sound the ninja made at his new nickname, 'too proud to show your manners?'

'Thou wantest me to _apologise _to that – that _demon_ –?'

'Yes, funnily enough, I _do_. Or no sword for you.'

Yoshimitsu growled in annoyance. 'Ugh – _fine_, thou insolent little – '

'Oh, _save it_,' Tira said, holding up a hand.

That was when she heard movement behind her, and her eyes widened as she stared at the ninja in front of her. 'Is he wak–?'

'Yes,' came the curt reply.

'Good, then you can say what you have to say and get us out of this mess.'

'_Me?! _Oh, yes, because _I _am the one with whom he gets on best, am I not?' Yoshimitsu answered back, his voice dripping with sarcasm, 'I'm sure he'll be simply _delighted_ to find me still here!'

'Just shut up and be happy that I'm giving you the chance at all, you stupid – ungrateful – walking _fashion_ _disaster_,' she snarled, turning her back on him, 'seriously, what sort of a person wears a _flag_…'

'_Walking_ _fashion disaster?!_' Yoshimitsu screeched back,_ '_now that _is _rich, coming from _thee!_ In fact, _both_ of you are an example of why blind people should never be allowed to make clothing. And for thy information it is called a _sashimono_!'

Tira rolled her eyes, ignoring his remark, and frowned as she watched Voldo slowly hiss his way back to consciousness. She stepped to the side as he shakily got up.

'Uh… Voldo, Yoshimitsu is –'

Before she could get another word out, however, Voldo had leapt at the ninja in rage, causing the latter to hurl insults at them both.

'NO – Voldo – you've got this all wrong –' she cried, dropping Eiserne and struggling to pull him off, 'Voldo – I need to tell you something – _listen to me –'_

Moments later she succeeded in pulling Voldo away, restraining him as he thrashed around angrily.

'Voldo, I'm sorry, but there's a reason I just –'

He was not listening however, and managed to slice Tira's thigh with his nails, causing her to yelp in pain. As she tried to restrain him further, however, another slash tore part of her clothing and she heard a muffled _clink _as something fell onto the broken glass beneath them.

The shard.

All movement ceased and Tira gasped in horrified realisation.

_Damnit._

For a few moments nothing but silence invaded the air.

That was until Yoshimitsu's dangerously quiet voice shattered it.

'Thou… thou had a… a _fragment_... with thee…' he said slowly.

Even Voldo had stopped by this point and Tira could do nothing but stammer her reply, which was aimed at them both. 'I – I didn't mean to –'

'I should have known all along that thou wert nothing but a cunning little _liar_. I had neglected to mention that a shard of Soul Edge had been taken from me, too, but I never thought… this must no doubt be it…'

At this, Tira snarled. '_No._ You are _not_ having the shard – _never –'_

She looked fearfully round at Voldo, who was hissing deeply, no doubt from anger. 'Voldo, look, I – I never –'

But he wrenched himself out of her grip and stretched his hand out towards the ground. Out of the corner of her eye Tira saw Yoshimitsu do the same thing.

'NO!' she roared, pushing them both out of the way and diving towards the fragment herself. Getting there first, her fingers closed around it, and as she did so she felt her anger and rage take over completely.

There was a blinding flash of light and Tira felt the shard vibrate in her hands as its power started to dissolve into her skin. She distantly heard Yoshimitsu's furious shouting and Voldo's insane rasping as they both tried to tackle her, but to no avail. Laughing to herself, she stood up triumphantly – before realising in horror that the room had begun to collapse on top of them.

The last thing she remembered were Voldo's nails scrabbling at the back of her neck before the brickwork buried her and she was dragged back to the depths of unconsciousness once more.

* * *

><p>Ahahaha, I was feeling in a really silly mood when I wrote the bickering between Tira and Yoshi. Probably will wake up tomorrow and be all like, 'WTF was I thinking?!' XD Oh, and Voldo's neck-crushing move was Jack in the Cage, if anyone's familiar with his move list. I like that move way, waaaay too much. ^_^<p>

It's now 25th here, Merry Christmas to you all~! 3


	16. Bird of Prey

Sorry for the lateness, everyone! I know I said February and I kinda ran over... so much is happening, though, so it's been hard to find the time to write. DX

* * *

><p>Tira opened her eyes slowly, and it took her a moment to realise what had happened. She felt something heavy on top of her, no doubt part of the ceiling or a piece of furniture, she couldn't see more than a foot or two in front of her. There seemed to be rubble strewn everywhere, most of it preventing her from moving, and Tira could smell blood, realising that she had fallen onto Eiserne and acquired a large wound in her chest in the process. She was lying face down on top of her weapon, unable to sit up due to whatever it was that was crushing her, and she noticed everything was quiet.<p>

Too quiet.

It was then that she feared the worst.

'V-Voldo…?' she whispered, tentatively.

No answer.

'Voldo!' she said louder.

Nothing.

Tira's eyes widened in fear.

No, no, _no _–

_Please… no… I can't have…_

She moved around as much as she could, trying to create as much noise as possible in an effort to disturb him if he was unconscious. Whereabouts was he?!

She shook her head slightly, convincing herself that he was not dead. But what if he _was_?

No – no, she could not afford to think like this. He was strong, and if she was alive surely he was, too? She closed her eyes and tried to clear her head, frowning. What exactly had happened again…? The fight with Yoshimitsu… they had discussed Voldo… he had woken up… and then the shard had been discovered… they had all dived for it… Voldo had been… behind her…?

Tira opened her eyes and shuffled about, trying to feel about with her free leg for him. A few moments later her foot hit something soft. With difficulty she craned her neck and looked behind her, catching sight of a hand buried under part of the wall that had haunted Tira when she first laid eyes on it. Upon closer inspection, however, she realised that the hand was made of wood, and was loosely holding a katana.

Yoshimitsu.

Tira whispered his name, kicking his hand slightly to test if he was alive. She reached around for the sword, poking him with it.

'Hey, Yoshi!'

But when he did not stir, she realised he was dead.

Humph. She had never liked him, anyway.

Still, his sword had to be of use, right? Voldo was nowhere in sight, but if Tira could cut away some of the debris…

She was only grateful that this room happened to be at the top of the pit, so there was still some hope of getting out. If it had been at the bottom, they all would have died eventually, she was sure of it. She vaguely wondered just how much – or how little – rubble they were trapped under. There _was_ a possibility of escape… wasn't there…?

With some difficult Tira rolled onto her side, taking care not to slice herself further on Eiserne. Annoyingly, she had not had much experience with swords, as she had been raised with the ring blade, but Yoshimitsu's katana was currently her only hope. Grasping the sword in one hand, she used the other to feel about for any loose debris. Directly in front of her seemed to be the remains of the armoire, and after poking about with the weapon Tira deduced that it was blocking some sort of makeshift tunnel that the rubble had created. If she could somehow get rid of it, at least it would give access to another few feet of space – providing, of course, that it wasn't holding something else up that would otherwise fall on top of her.

But what could she do? It wasn't as if she had any other choice. She took a deep breath and felt for the hinges on the armoire. One door had been completely crushed, its remains like spikes as they seemed to sprout from between other pieces of rubble. The other, however, was mostly intact, and it was this that Tira wished to cut away first. She gave it a gentle push, relieved when it swung slowly, indicating that it was free to come away. She pried at the hinges with the katana, and the sharp blade easily sliced through the dull metal which had become worn with age. After a few minutes the now lone door fell forwards, and Tira caught it awkwardly before it crushed her, holding it up with her free hand.

Now, where to move it?! Tira realised with dismay that she could not just put it out of the way when it was at this size. A second later, however, another idea came to her.

Gripping the sword, she positioned it at the edge of the door and began to slowly saw it in half. It was no easy job considering the angle and position she was in, however, but after about ten minutes she succeeded in cutting it in two. She eyed the armoire in front of her, and then looked back at the two halves of the door. Gritting her teeth, she mustered her strength and pushed the remains of the door towards the armoire until they were resting on top of all the garishly coloured clothing inside it. She moved towards the ornate wardrobe, holding the katana, and began to slice at where the sides of it met. They fell down one by one, creating a relatively flat surface for her to move on, as well as opening up some more space.

Anything above it was clearly being held up by something else, although was it was Tira was not quite sure yet.

Smiling in spite of herself, Tira rolled onto her stomach and crawled through the rubble slowly until she was situated in the middle of the wood. Thankfully there was now space for her to kneel, and she did so, thinking about what to do next. Looking up, she gave the debris above her a small push. It rattled slightly, and Tira wondered how much was above it.

Tentatively, she drew the katana up to the edge of the rubble, wondering how best to go about this. Would she be able to just hack away at it? Or would she need to be careful and go slowly?

But Tira wasn't the best at handling a sword, least of all _carefully_. Yet she knew that 'careful' was the key word if she was going to get out of here alive.

But she had survived so far, hadn't she? Not just the room falling down, but… her entire life. Reckless was what she was. Who she was. And she had gotten by just fine… right…?

She closed her eyes. She was a part of the Bird of Passage. A free bird. A _powerful _bird. An eagle, a hawk. A falcon. A bird of prey. Birds of prey took risks. They weren't _careful. _They were brave, seizing every chance and getting it right first time. They were experts.

They flew.

Her eyes snapped open and travelled down to Eiserne. Though there wasn't enough room to swing her ring blade in her usual manner, it was still possible to dislodge some of the rubble above.

She dropped the katana and picked up Eiserne, her eyes glinting. She sat back on her haunches, gripping her trusty ring blade and, eyeing a crack in the debris above, sprang upwards.

There was a terrifying rumble and Tira knew there was no going back now. The blade sliced through the fallen wood and brickwork and she dodged some of it that threatened to collapse. She persevered upwards, through the mess of debris, pushing off of the pieces that fell by her feet. She climbed higher and higher as the rubble fell around her, feeling confident that none of it would touch her as Eiserne acted as a shield as well as a weapon. It was a struggle, and she gained countless cuts and grazes on various pieces of wreckage, but she knew that as soon as she lost concentration she'd be finished. Yet it was oddly… fun…?

Up she went, mustering her strength, and –

Wait, was that –?

No, it couldn't –

Yes –

Yes, it was –

Light?!

Light!

Forcing herself to stay focused, Tira kept her eyes on the extremely narrow beam of light that had miraculously found its way in from –

Wait, light – that meant she was near the surface! The room really had been higher up than she had thought.

Ugh, she couldn't afford to lose focus now!

_Just get out. Get out and then you can try and find Voldo afterwards. Keep concentrating._

But what if – what if he's dead…?

_He won't be. He's too strong and stubborn for that. Besides, if you think he'd just die and leave the likes of _you _in charge of this place you've got another thing coming._

You… you care about Voldo? You've changed your tune.

_Pfft, I've never cared for him. It's you I'm worried about. _I _don't care whether he lives or dies._

Sure…

_It's true. He's still mad. Don't suppose he's relearnt to _speak_ yet, has he?_

Well…

_Humph, you can't be doing a good job then._

Oh, shut _up_!

_You're telling me to shut up? You _offend _me…_

Enough with the sarcasm!

_Ugh, fine… though you're so busy arguing with me it's no wonder you haven't noticed you're out, already._

I –

'What?'

And it was true enough.

With one final scramble, Tira climbed out of the wreckage, falling to her knees the instant she was free. Her chest was a bruised, bloody mess, her hair and clothes were covered in dirt and dust. Only now did she realise the pain she was in and how weak she was.

And yet she was still alive. She could only hope that Voldo was, too.

Balancing on part of the debris and using Eiserne as something to lean on, Tira surveyed the damage.

The ground around the edge of the pit had collapsed in on itself, forming a large, curved dent in the earth. Pieces of brickwork, wood, metal and fabric were strewn everywhere, and some of the traps that had been situated near the pit entrance were now buried among the splintered rubble, making it seem twice as deadly.

Tira picked her way carefully up the sides of the crater and peered over at the main entrance to the chasm. Thankfully that was still intact… and it _appeared _as though the rest of the pit was, too…

At least there was somewhere to go back to.

But would there be some_one_ to go back _with_…?

_Not at this rate. He's got limited time left, Tira…_

Within seconds Tira was back at the wreckage with Eiserne, having forgotten her injuries, and started furiously pulling up pieces of debris as if there were no tomorrow. Of course, she knew that if she did not hurry, that would be true in Voldo's case.

* * *

><p>...ehehe, sorry for the horribly short and boring chapter ^^' I don't know when I'll be updating next, but I'll try not to leave it this long. When summer comes I want to have finished this and begin my next fic (VoldoVercci), so... yeah. ^^


	17. Reflection

Sorry for the wait, guys, it's exam season for me now, so I've been trying to write this up after revision each night. -.- Exams finish on 14th June, so I won't be updating until at least then, if not later. But now that I've got the rest of the story planned out and I know what I'm going to do with it, it'll be finished by the end of summer ready to start on the Voldo/Vercci fic.

Enough talk, enjoy!

* * *

><p>There was blood. Not much, but enough to concern Tira – for once.<p>

It had not been an easy task, getting Voldo out of the debris. But she had done it.

It was past midday. The debris hadn't been too deep. Twenty feet? Perhaps even a little less…? And the traps were well away from where the three of them had fallen, so that took away an extra risk.

By now much of the rubble had been tossed away to the sides, leaving a large dent in the centre.

Voldo was currently lying motionless by the edge of the dent, his weapons lying a few feet away. Tira watched his chest rise and fall slowly as she knelt beside him – his breathing seemed to be even, normal… that had to be good, right? But she knew that what they both needed now was food and water. Supplies were running low in the chasm, and there was barely enough for one given the recent events. She could hardly go on a hunt now, and anyway, what if Voldo woke up and she wasn't there?

She knew she would have to stay until he awakened… or she could just wake him up herself – gently, of course.

She needed to see how he was doing, yes?

Slowly, she reached for his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake.

'Voldo…?'

Nothing.

_You're being a little _too _gentle, fool._

She shook him a little harder.

'Voldo – Voldo, wake up…'

He stirred slightly, a low, faint hiss escaping his lips. His sightless eyes fluttered slowly open but he remained lying down, seeming a little disorientated.

'I'm – I'm going to get food, and… supplies… just – stay here, ok?'

Voldo rasped in reply. She took that as a yes and stood up slowly. The question was: where would she find nourishment and other much needed items quickly? She was reluctant to go down into the depths of the chasm in case anything was unstable and would collapse, and who knew how fortunate she would be if she hunted?

Then it hit her: Yoshimitsu's ship! He must have had supplies there, yes? She'd be surprised if she didn't – it was a long way from Japan to Italy.

With one last glance at Voldo she picked up Eiserne, spun around and raced away, taking the same path as yesterday. It seemed shorter now that she had trodden it a few times – but she was still under a time limit. She did not know just how wounded Voldo was.

She impatiently forced through the trees, swift as the wind, until she reached edge of the forest leading to the shore. There, in the distance, she spied the ship, which she felt confident was now devoid of any passengers, having killed all of them. Yet she could not forget about the second ship on the other side of the shore, motionless, isolated. What was it doing there? Whose was it? She was tempted to go and explore, but a moment later she remembered what she was here for.

Her eyes snapped back to Yoshimitsu's ship and she quickly made her way to it, kicking up the sand behind her as she ran towards it. She climbed up the side as she had done before, landing on the deck, before exploring the depths of the ship and going down into the main body of the ship below.

The first thing Tira noticed as she walked around was the smell – it reeked of damp wood, ale, seaweed. But it also smelled of death. Crew had died on the journey here, and after a closer look she noticed the trace of bloodstains on the walls. It was clear that someone had tried to scrub them away, but to no avail.

She sliced open the first door she saw, stepping into a room that looked strangely familiar. Barrels, crates, boxes – this was a store room, though smaller than the last one she had been in, and not as full, thankfully. There was at least space to move in this one, and no chance of the ship sinking this time.

Tira walked to the nearest crate and forced it open. Peering inside, she found what appeared to be salted meat, possibly beef – and the scent of it was strong and uninviting. Still, she had never been a fan of salted things. Perhaps Voldo was?

The next crate she opened contained smaller boxes within it, which in turn held biscuits, and the one after that contained dried fish. After examining the contents of the rest of the crates – which contained cheeses, dried peas, flour, salt and pepper, dried fruits and honey – Tira started on the barrels which, after opening a few, appeared to all contain ale.

She stepped back, realising she would need a bag of some sort to carry some of this back in as well as other supplies she came in for, and went to search the rest of the ship. It was only now that she realised just how badly wounded she was, as the adrenaline had died down and she could now feel her injuries as she walked about. She looked down at her body and was not surprised to see that there was no more fabric visible underneath all the dirt and blood that covered her, yet for some reason she did not feel in as much pain as perhaps she should have… come to think of it, she felt surprisingly strong.

Had it been the power of the fragment? Had it affect Voldo in some way, too? Would he heal quicker?

She wondered briefly for a few moments longer before lifting her eyes and carrying on with the task at hand.

After a few dead ends and various uninteresting rooms, Tira made her way to the other end of the ship, pushing open a slightly larger door than all the others to reveal what must be the captain's cabin.

That was to say, Yoshimitsu's quarters.

The first thing Tira noticed when she stepped inside the room was how surprisingly Western it looked – in fact, the entire ship had, now that she thought about it. Strange… why hadn't Yoshimitsu used a Japanese ship? There was no tatami floor, no sliding screens… though perhaps this had been for practical purposes.

Either way, Tira didn't care.

She stepped inside into a room larger than the rest of the ones she had encountered. A lavishly-decorated table dominated the red-and-gold themed space, surrounded by glossy wooden chairs that had been intricately carved. Two doors led off this main dining area, and Tira scanned them, wondering which one to break down first.

She moved towards the leftmost one and effortlessly aimed Eiserne at the lock, battering it until the door swung open with ease moments later. Entering the room, her eyes lit up and she grinned when she saw what was inside.

A large bed dominated the space, with a chest of drawers on one side of the room and a vast armoire on the other. A bear skin rug covered the wooden floor, a large chandelier hung from the ceiling, and a second door led off from the room.

Yoshimitsu's chambers – no doubt she'd find something of interest in here.

She ransacked the drawers first and found a dagger and a compass among the silks in them, which she held onto. Next, she turned to the armoire and flung the doors open, but after a moment she deduced that there was nothing of interest here; she had no need for armour.

She tossed the covers and the pillows off the bed, and delighted in finding a second dagger under one of the pillows, before turning towards the door behind her, which turned out to be nothing but a privy. Before leaving the room, she slashed at the unlit chandelier, watching with glee as it dropped from the ceiling and smashed.

Exiting the room, Tira entered the second main door leading off from the dining area. This one was a little harder to break open, but once she went in, she could see why.

It was a storeroom – dominated with weapons. Katanas, obviously. But it held various other items: phials containing what had to be medical potions of some sort, cutting knives, jars of brightly-coloured powders, mortars, pestles, quills, parchment, cloths, a few books, and more – including a good-sized leather shoulder bag to carry a lot of it in.

_Perfect._

Wasting no time, Tira bundled as many things as she could into the bag. After closer inspection she realised that the books on the dusty shelves, though in Japanese, were immensely thick and contained recipes for the remedies to various ailments, judging by the huge number of diagrams accompanying the foreign yet intricate and incredibly beautiful characters.

_It's all I've got to go by_, Tira thought, and packed them in as well.

When she had filled most of the bag, she picked up Eiserne and made her way back to the room with the food. After packing what she could and filling up the bag completely, she began to make her way out of the ship. She'd probably come back for more supplies later, but she had loaded up all she could carry at the moment. It would do for now.

She walked back up the shore, stopping for a moment to wonder about the other ship in the distance. To whom did it belong…?

Part of her insisted it was Voldo – he had to be able to get off this island sometimes, right? Yet when she had asked all those months ago how she would get off and if he would help her, he had given her no answer. She knew he understood him, yet… why had he ignored her…?

She carried on walking. Perhaps it was another one of Yoshimitsu's ships… but then, why was so far from the first one? Surely they would have been on the same side of the coast. Tira did not see the logic in placing two ships so far away from each other.

It had to be Vercci's ship, yes? After all, Voldo had to have gotten here in the first place. Perhaps he had ceased sailing after his sight had left him… yet something told Tira that Voldo was more than capable of steering that ship if he wanted to. The way he fought, the way he walked about with ease, effortlessly dodging objects he shouldn't have known were in his way… he knew where everything was… it was as though he had developed one more sense to make up for the lack of another.

Then why hadn't he left…?

No, Tira _knew_ the answer to that.

But Voldo took devotion to another level…

Her thoughts occupied her throughout the remainder of the journey, and before she knew it she was back at the clearing, where Voldo was waiting.

He was no longer unconscious, and did not seem to be as injured as Tira thought he would be. He was standing motionless, seemingly inspecting Manas and Ayus for any damage, running his fingers deftly over his weapons.

It was clear the shard had done something – however, it was lost now.

'Voldo!'

Voldo slowly turned his head towards her, acknowledging her with a quiet rasp. She reached him within a few more seconds, dumping the bag on the ground beside them both.

'Voldo, you're – you're okay?! Or – you look it, anyway, but –'

She paused and looked him over. He was just as bloodied and bruised as she was.

'I've got supplies – from Yoshimitsu's ship – food, and things to treat our wounds with, you're hurt, I – Voldo, are you listening?'

For he had turned his attention back to his weapons.

'Voldo! What's up?'

She touched his shoulder tentatively, but the moment she did so he shook her off viciously, hissing deeply.

Her eyes widened.

'What did I –'

And he turned on his heel and stalked off. Tira stared after him, but said nothing, for a moment later she knew the reason.

He was angry.

Angry at her for betraying him. For taking the shard. For letting her desires get in the way.

And he was angry at her for disobeying the rules.

For stealing from Vercci.

She shivered, watching him as he disappeared into the distance, before turning in the opposite direction and heading back towards the trees.

She made her way to the stream at which she had first watched Voldo kill the boar. It had been nearly a year ago, now, yet it seemed like less. She set Eiserne down on the ground and, tearing off the remainder of her clothing, Tira stepped into the cool water, leaning back against a rock situated in the middle of it. Absent-mindedly washing the dirt and blood off her body, Tira began to think.

Voldo was furious; there was no doubt about that. But what would he do…? Kill her?

No, for he would have attacked her already. But why did she feel so… guilty? She was _Tira_, she never felt like that! She didn't care!

She closed her eyes, leaning her head back.

He had changed her. _That_ was why.

He had unknowingly changed something which was thought to be unchangeable.

Tira reflected on her behaviour since meeting him. She had begun to care. To think things through. To keep her head level. To not lose control. To be less _reckless_.

Yet she was in the presence of a madman – surely it should have had the opposite effect? It should have spurred on her own madness.

Perhaps Voldo knew what he was doing. After all, the most insane people were often the most intelligent, yes?

No, that was impossible. He was a freak.

_But a freak that you seem to be attracted to._

Tira's eyes snapped open. Of _course_ she wasn't – how _dare _that thought even cross her mind –

_I'm right._

But –

_Don't try and argue._

For once she obeyed. She thought back to one of the many one-sided conversations she had shared with Voldo during her time here.

_This is crazy, right? But… I'd rather be crazy and – and interesting, than, well, normal and… and boring… the other assassins at the Bird of Passage were like that. Heh, they didn't like me much. After I… after Mother Bird died, I kept making mistakes and being, well, clumsy, as they called it. Just because I was unique! And them? They were so – so dull… even the clothes they wore – not a single splash of colour, can you believe that?! So much grey and brown and… those colours have no life, do they? They don't tell anyone about your personality._

Her own words rang in her head.

_At least you and I… we're special, right?_

There was no denying that the two of them were the same. She had come to accept that now. Broken, unique, but special.

Always special.

But did she really love him…? A man so unhinged he seemed inhuman? One intent on serving a dead master until it killed him? A man who couldn't even _speak_?

Somehow, she couldn't quite bring herself to say no.

* * *

><p>Aaand that's all for about a month, guys, I do hope the wait was worth it. But hey, at least Voldo is alive, right? Though you all know I can't bring myself to kill him off... XD<p> 


	18. Muse

EXAMS. ARE. OVER! Now all there is to do is wait nervously until results day and then panic when it arrives. 22nd August... waahahhahhhhhh.

But in all seriousness, you guys will never have to wait this long for a chapter again. I'm planning on finishing this fic by July/August (only a few more chapters to go) and then start on my next fic. I'm even starting Italian in September to help me with it (Voldo and Vercci are Italian, I'll be using Italian terms, I'll need to know the culture, etc.) - yep, I'm dedicated. Though that story will be far longer than this one, and I've been writing this for over a year... sheesh. Chances are I'll have multiple fics at once to stop me going insane.

Anyway, without further ado, enjoy!

* * *

><p>Tira sat on the edge of the entrance to the chasm, swinging her legs idly. She had stayed in the water for a good few hours and the sun was now beginning to set, yet it was still rather warm, and so Tira had neglected to go back down for another outfit. She was sure Voldo would not be back for a while yet, and there was something rather comforting about the way the slight breeze gently caressed her unclothed skin.<p>

She lay back, staring up at the clear, sapphire sky, confused.

She had been going round in circles for the past three hours, finally accepting the fact that she had feelings for Voldo. Twisted, unexpected feelings… but feelings nonetheless.

But would she act on them?

She snorted. Of course not, for two reasons – the first being that it was evident the only love Voldo had was for his Master, and the second was that their relationship was likely damaged beyond repair. Why was she even still here? Something told her he no longer wanted her around.

She sat up. Come to think of it… she _could_ just go now if she wanted. Yoshimitsu was dead – she could take his vessel. She'd have food and clothing and shelter… but then there was the drawback that she was clueless when it came to steering a ship.

Still, she could work it out, right? It couldn't be that hard…

She sighed. No, who was she fooling? She was stuck here with an unpredictable pit guardian who probably hated her right now.

It would take a _lot_ for him to forgive her, she was sure of that. She had betrayed his – and, she supposed, Vercci's – trust.

Besides, even if she _did_ manage to escape, where would she go? What would she do?

Who would she kill?

She closed her eyes, lying back again. That was something else she missed. The killing. Yes, Yoshimitsu had died because of her only hours ago, but it hadn't been the same. She hadn't speared him, dismembered him, severed his head from his shoulders. No, she had _accidently_ caused part of the chasm to fall on top of them all!

She hadn't even received the chance to enjoy his demise properly.

Still, at least he was gone. He had been nothing more than a nuisance.

_A nuisance with a really grating accent, too_, she mused, before vaguely wondering if Voldo too would have had an accent when speaking in English, like in her dream. That was to say, if he knew any English at all. No… he had to; after all, Tira had been speaking it ever since she arrived and he had understood her. She knew he probably didn't speak her native German.

She'd heard Italian was a pretty language… yet she'd never been to Italy, so she didn't know. What she did know was that German sounded strange… and English, in her opinion, was just ugly. Not to mention difficult. She still couldn't spell properly when it came to writing it down…

Tira was broken out of her thoughts when she felt a sudden shade and heard something drop onto the ground beside her head. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, her eyes travelling upwards to see what had interrupted her.

Voldo was standing over, motionless. She looked at the ground to find the shard shining in the sunlight. Tempting though it was to pick it up, she thought better of it.

Looking back at Voldo, she slowly stood up and faced him. A strange, rare feeling of guilt began to build up inside her and she fiddled awkwardly with her hair for a few moments, saying nothing.

Somehow she knew that Voldo was waiting for her to speak. But what could she say that would possible make things even a little better…? He had every reason to be angry with her right now… but then why wasn't he acting on it?

Perhaps he wanted to hear her out before he killed her?

Or perhaps he genuinely wanted her to explain herself to him, with no intention of harming her.

Whatever the reason, Tira knew she would have to start talking sooner or later. She paced around, feeling Voldo's sightless eyes follow her every move and, taking a deep, slightly nervous breath, she began to speak.

'I… I know you're mad at me.'

He was silent.

'And… you've got every right to be,' she continued, looking at the ground, 'I shouldn't have taken the shard, I know that. I know I betrayed you… and your Master.'

She looked at him. 'And I also know that this is gonna sound really… stupid… but when I picked it up, I was… reminded of what it felt like to truly be alive. I was… more powerful…'

She looked down at her body, studying all the cuts and bruises she had sustained over the past twenty four hours. In particular she stared at the large wound in her stomach Yoshimitsu had given her on his ship. She knew that would scar.

'Yoshimitsu almost killed me before he came to you. And he would have succeeded if I hadn't had the shard on me. It gave me… I don't know, some sort of… strength. A strength that doesn't just come from training hard. No, this was different.'

She thought back to the nightmare about her past. 'It was as if something was telling me just in time that he was going to kill you if I didn't get back in time…'

It had been no ordinary dream. Voldo himself had warned her that Yoshimitsu was coming for him. He had spoken to her.

_...h-he... is... coming... c-closer... time – no time!_

His chilling words rang in her head and she forced them to the back of her mind.

'I'm not trying to make excuses. I know it was wrong. But… if I hadn't… both of us would be dead… right? And – and Yoshimitsu would have taken everything.'

Voldo made no sound, and though Tira was usually an expert at reading body language, it was now impossible to tell what he was thinking. He was merely standing motionless. Was he even listening to her…? She felt reluctant to ask.

'I'm… I'm sorry. Really, I am. You trusted me, and… this is how I repaid you. I didn't mean to make you angry, I swear, I just… wasn't thinking properly, and I – I just took it. It looked so – I had to – couldn't stop myself…'

Her voice was barely a whisper now. 'It was just… so beautiful… so _powerful_…'

And, of course, one of the most valuable items in the Money Pit, no?

Inside, she cursed herself angrily. _Why_ wasn't she capable of thinking about her actions?! Her entire life she had just recklessly jumped into things, never once stopping to think about the consequences. And look where it had gotten her.

_Birds are supposed to be controlled, disciplined. They're supposed to know what they're doing._

And it was evident that Tira didn't.

_You're no bird. You're too clumsy, too reckless. You're more of a land animal – something that charges without thinking. A bull. A boar. And they're both ugly, ungraceful animals. Not like birds. You were never a bird. Only a bull wearing feathers._

Tira didn't argue. She knew it was true.

She stared at the vault guardian, at a loss as to what else to say to him. All this time he had given her no indication that he was paying attention to a word she said.

No, he must have been. He had come back for a reason, yes?

Yet he currently seemed… distracted.

'Voldo…?'

Nothing. His gaze was towards her, yes, but… he seemed to be looking _through_ her. Usually his blind eyes would pierce her, but now they seemed distant. He was frowning slightly, and it was as though he was thinking… working something out.

_He's probably deciding on how best to kill you._

'Voldo,' she said, a little louder this time.

_Let's see… will it be quick and painless? Or will he draw it out as punishment for your betrayal? Where will he cut first? You've no clothes to hide under, Tira. He'll have your entire body at his disposal. Will it be an arm to start with? A leg? Will he mercilessly sever an entire limb or will he carve your body slowly as though it were wood. Will he get tired after hearing you beg for death and slit your throat? Or will he want to hear every last screech of agony as you die slowly? Will he enjoy hearing you scream or will he find the noise grating?_

_And what will he do with your body after he is done playing with it? Leave you for the crows? Toss you into the sea? Burn you?_

'Voldo!'

He seemed to inhale slightly and his lips moved as though he were about to say something.

Tira's eyes narrowed. What was the matter with –?

And that was when the sound came out.

'T-Tira…'

His voice was raspy, low and heavily accented. Just like in her dream.

But most of all it was _real_.

Tira's eyes widened and her jaw hung open in shock.

_The shard – the shard, the power, it's – it's done something. He can speak again. He's _speaking_!_

And that had been why he was silent… he had been trying to… work out… how to speak again…?

She dared to wonder if it had restored his mind, too.

'I –Voldo – what did – wait, did I just hear – I –'

She stopped, unable to find the right words to express her reaction, and a sudden impulse seized her instead. Without thinking, she laughed slightly in surprise as she ran forwards, throwing her arms around him and planting an enthusiastic, bruising kiss on his lips.

That was when she felt him stiffen before throwing her roughly off of him. Her heart began to pound in anxiety – she should have known that would be a bad idea. What was she _thinking_?!

She watched as he bared his teeth in a snarl of rage, unsheathing his weapons. If he hadn't been furious already, he certainly was now. His speech may have been restored, but his attitude towards her was clearly the same.

For the first time in years, Tira was truly afraid. Voldo was dangerous. She glanced around for Eiserne in the hope of defending herself if – no, _when_ – he attacked her, but her heart sank when she realised her weapon was too far to reach. He would easily get there first if she tried to grab it.

'I'm – I'm sorry,' she rushed quickly, 'I didn't think – I didn't mean to make you angry, I just –'

But he cut her off, and this time his tone was louder, more confident.

'_Thief!_' he growled.

Her eyes widened. She knew what happened to thieves.

It was no use trying to back away. She had been right all along. He truly had come back to kill her, only postponing her death so he could search for the correct word in English rather than his native tongue. She saw Manas and Ayus glinting menacingly in the sunlight. The beautiful blades would be covered in her blood soon.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the blow, somehow regretful that the last thing she would remember was that a kindred spirit had turned into a vengeful killer in a matter of seconds, all due to her foolish, _foolish_ mistakes.

* * *

><p>Okay, okay, I know I may have introduced some sort of OOCness here, but here me out:<p>

1) Regarding Tira's kiss, the fact that she uses it in her Critical Finish means that to me, it doesn't seem too out of character.

2) The obvious one: *gasp* Voldo spoke! I tried to foreshadow it earlier in the story with the dream and all... and it _is_ the effects of the shard... idk. **Reviews on this chapter in particular would be greatly appreciated.**


	19. Interno

Oh hey, would you look at that, two chapters in less than three days.

The positive reviews encouraged me to get this up as soon as possible. Time for a different style of writing - think of this as a kind of bonus chapter. Feel like I'm taking a bit of a risk here, but I do hope it pays off...

* * *

><p><em>Voldo.<em>

…?

_Voldo._

…Master Vercci…? Is that you?

_Oh, my dear Voldo…_

I… it has been so long, Master.

_What are you doing, Voldo…?_

Honouring your wishes, Master.

_You are going to kill her, aren't you?_

She is a thief.

_She is an ally._

I thought that too – until she betrayed us.

_I am aware of that._

The punishment for betrayal is death. It was when you were still here… and it is now, is it not?

_That is correct. I can, however… make exceptions._

With all due respect, Master… she stole from your treasure. She stole, and… and I am to blame! I did not know, and I should have done – if I had watched her actions with care this could have been avoided, forgive me, Master, I beg you –

_Hush, Voldo. She took it whilst you were ill, yes. But what's done is done. And it did have its advantages._

Advantages?

_You heard what she said. The shard gave her strength – that wretched pirate would have killed her otherwise – and you. It is thanks to her that you are alive._

…I thought you would be angry.

_I was. When she first took it._

Why did you not tell me…?

_I was curious as to what the consequences would be. And I was under the impression that you would find out the truth… in a different way to that which you did. I now realise I was wrong. I fear I may have taken you for granted, Voldo._

How so…?

_Skilled though you are, I was foolish to believe that a warrior like you would not receive wounds from time to time. Your recent ones have been quite severe. I was ignorant to believe that you were safe from all harm._

Have I disappointed you, Master, in being defeated?

_No, Voldo. You have proven your humanity. And now that you have… an assistant, shall we say… I have no doubt that my treasure is in safe hands. Though I must ask you something._

Anything, Master.

_Why did you not kill the girl upon meeting her? Tira, her name is, yes? Back then she was intruder. I know I gave orders to kill any intruders._

I…

_Why did you let her live?_

Her intentions were… different to the usual thieves.

_I can see that._

She wanted my aid. She wanted to escape.

_Yet we both know there was no way she could do that when you both first encountered. Why keep her around?_

She is… strange.

_Does she mean anything to you, Voldo?_

She is…

_Be honest with me, Voldo._

We are… similar… in ways that… few… would understand… it is as if I know what she is thinking… I am almost certain it works the other way, too…

_Do you love her?_

I belong wholly to you, you know that.

_Tell me the truth. Do you love Tira?_

I… I do not know, Master.

_I see._

Would you be angry if I told you I did?

_It depends. You must not let her distract you from your duty, Voldo._ _You have remained faithful to me all these years… it would be a shame to stop that now._

You know I will always remain faithful to you, Master. Nothing can stand in the way of that.

_Not even Tira?_

Not even Tira.

_She is an effective fighter… you work well together. In fact, now that I think about it… you two do indeed share some… similarities…_

Did you hear what she said, Master? About her past?

_Every word._

So, you have been watching? All this time?

_Always, Voldo. I never truly left._

Forgive me for asking, but…

_Go on._

Why have you not made yourself known to me? I thought I was alone.

_You have never been alone, my dear, _dear_ Voldo. But there have been instances when I have needed to step back._

I see… and I – I have one more question…

_Of course._

The sword… the one that the ninja came back for…

_Yes…_

It is not Soul Edge, is it?

_No._

Why did you not tell me –?

_Oh, I figured you'd find out soon enough._

I… I have failed you, Master.

_You have been a good and loyal servant, Voldo. You have never failed me._

I disobeyed orders by keeping Tira alive when she first came here.

_It is not the first time you have disobeyed orders._

I am so sorry, Master…

_Yet I know you would never go against instructions without a valid reason. Or, at least, you have not done so yet. I trusted you knew what you were doing when you refrained from killing her._

You… would trust me like that…?

_I have trusted you with many things over the years, Voldo. You know that._

And yet I still have not managed to fulfil your wishes. Sometimes I wonder if you should have placed your trust in someone else… someone capable of doing what he is told without question… someone capable of finding the Cursed Sword.

_Do not doubt yourself, Voldo. There is still time. Finding Soul Edge is not impossible. Difficult, yes… however… I know you are capable. More capable than you think._

I trust your judgement, Master.

_Take the girl with you when you go. Fascinating though she is… I still would not fully trust her on her own._

I can see why. And so… regarding Tira… what should I…?

_I will leave it in your hands. Do what you think is best. I am confident you would never betray me, no matter what the circumstances. Why should I deny you an ally? A friend? Perhaps she is something more than that. For once, I will not pry. I want you to be happy, Voldo._

I do not deserve your kindness.

_You do, my dear, _precious, _Voldo, and so much more… it is pity we had to part so soon._

I… miss you…

_And I you… but I am watching… always watching…_

And now? You tell me you have been watching – make of the current situation what you will. What should I do?

_I think you know._

I am uncertain.

_Lower your weapons, Voldo. Your beloved Manas and Ayus do not need to feast on her flesh tonight._

Yes, Master.

* * *

><p>What did you make of that? I felt as though we had to get some sort of glimpse as to what Voldo was truly thinking, instead of describing it all through Tira's eyes. But we'll be back to Tira's third-person POV in the next chapter, though.<p>

And there have been references to the past in this chapter which may have raised some questions, e.g. the bit about Voldo disobeying orders. All I can say is that all will be revealed in the upcoming fic. ;)

As always, reviews gratefully accepted.


	20. Verità e Fiamme

OK, so school's out for summer! That means more frequent updates, though truth be told, there's probably gonna be only one more chapter after this. I've been writing this for over a year and it's finally coming to an end, woo :D Enjoy, folks!

* * *

><p>There was silence.<p>

A delicate, yet deafening, silence. Tira hardly dared to breathe.

She should have been dead seconds ago. Why was she still alive? She could still see the fearsome katars glinting on the back of her eyelids. They were so close to tearing her apart.

Why had he stopped?

Tentatively, she opened her eyes.

Voldo was standing motionless, his weapons still raised.

'V-Voldo…?' she asked nervously.

He remained like a statue.

'Voldo?' she said, a little louder.

He did not appear to have even heard her. She fell silent then, wondering what was happening. How long she stood there she did not know, but the silence was finally shattered when the katars in Voldo's hands clattered to the ground.

'He… came back…'

His words were thought-out and accented. Tira frowned. He wasn't making any sense. 'Who came back, Voldo?'

'Master Vercci.'

'I…'

She trailed off, clueless as to what to say. What did he mean, he was back? He was dead, was he not?

'_Ha parlato_… he spoke… after all this time… he spoke – to me…'

Something of a smile played on Voldo's lips, and Tira was glad he could not see how wide her eyes were at the present moment. She hadn't heard anything, yet he heard Vercci's voice… he truly was insane… right?

'I thought… he had…'

'…gone?' Tira finished. Voldo nodded, his sightless eyes growing a little brighter.

'But he never really left. Only… went away… for a while…'

Tira stared at him, confident it was all inside his head. Was this what happened to people after they had been alone for so long? They convinced themselves that the ones closest to them were still present? How many years had he been hallucinating? And how long had it been since he had last heard Vercci's voice…?

A strange, unfamiliar feeling began to well up inside of Tira, and it took a moment to identify what it was.

_Pity._

She looked at him. 'Tell me about Vercci, I'm interested.'

Voldo began to pace slowly. 'He was… _complesso_… complicated… at times, hard to understand… he was not like other men… admired – but feared… yes, feared greatly…'

He trailed off, seemingly lost in thought, and came to a halt in front of her. After a pause, he spoke.

'Describe yourself to me. I want to… picture you, as you are, now.'

Tira looked at him. 'Uh, well… I…'

She smiled. 'I like makeup… and hair dye… I wear it all the time,' her voice grew a little more excited, 'right now, my hair's a sort of… teal colour, and when I first came here I had green lipstick and green eye makeup and purple body paint, but that's washed off since then… I have pale skin, violet eyes, uh…'

'What are you wearing?'

Tira looked down at herself and back up at him, blushing. 'I – I, uh – well, the truth is… not much, actually…'

Voldo was silent.

'I mean, it's warm, and… I had a bath in the stream earlier, and was gonna go back down for clothes… and then you came…'

_Nice mental image you've given him, there, Tira._

Ugh, not you again.

_Do you think he feels anything for you? I mean, he still seems utterly devoted to Vercci, and it's not difficult to deduce that there's more to those two than he's letting on._

Well, that's his business. And anyway, Vercci's dead.

_Yes, and Voldo's insane. He probably still fantasises about his master._

Just shut up! You irritate me.

_Still, there's no denying, he's probably picturing you in all your naked glory now. Can't complain, right? Do you think he's ever been with a woman before? I mean, judging by the way he dresses, you'd think he's only interested in –_

'What did he say? Your master?'

_Hey, don't ignore me!_

Too late, I already did.

Voldo's blind eyes seemed to pierce her, and his voice was quiet. 'He… he said… it was he who told me to… stop.'

Tira's eyes widened. 'What?'

Voldo nodded. 'He told me to spare you. He sees everything. He told me.'

Tira stared at him. It couldn't have been true, could it? No, he was clearly hearing things. He wasn't all there, remember?

'Why… why did he interfere? I… betrayed you. Betrayed him.'

'He finds you… interesting… knows your true… your true…'

'…intentions?'

'_Sì_. Knows there is… more… to you.'

'I could say the same thing about you.'

'Perhaps… you are correct.'

'How?'

Tira waited for an answer, but none came. Then another question sprang to mind.

'Were you… actually gonna me just now…?'

'Yes.'

Tira couldn't help but feel stung at the blunt reply. '"Yes"? Is that it?! You… you don't care about anyone but him, do you? You only kept me alive because _he _told you to!'

Her voice suddenly became quieter, though she knew he would hear her. 'I thought… I mean, we've known each other for a year now… fought together… we're allies… _friends_… right?'

_You're wrong. He doesn't care about you. But I do…_

She ignored the voice, and her own grew steadily louder. 'And you're telling me now that, after all this, you'd just happily throw it all away? With no feeling at all? It looks as though your master cares more for me than you do – and who knows if that's even _real_?!'

Tira was screaming at him now. She felt her eyes burn and she fiercely wiped away the rapidly-gathering tears. She didn't know who she was angrier at: him for his apparent lack of interest, or herself for letting her pathetic _feelings _get in the way. She wouldn't care this much about what he did if she didn't love him so.

His reply was icy, and his words were slowly becoming more fluent and confident. 'The punishment for theft was always death. It has remained that way even before Master Vercci departed! I was only following his orders –'

She was furious. 'Orders that were probably issued years ago, before he died. Yes, _died. _"Departed"? You're speaking as though he's gone away on a trip! He's _dead_, Voldo! _He's not coming back! _You might hear his voice, but that means _nothing _if I can't hear it, too!'

Her breathing was heavy and she felt herself going red with fury. She saw him grind his teeth and curl his fists in annoyance at her spiteful words, and though she did not trust herself to say anymore, she couldn't stop the words from spilling from her lips.

'It's clear you've been alone for so long you can't even tell what's _real_ anymore,' she spat, viciously, 'and it's also clear that relationships with other people obviously aren't your thing unless it's with Vercci, isn't it? Did you always shun other people like this, even when he was alive? What was so _interesting _about him that even after all these years you still refuse to believe he's truly dead?! How many other people did you _use_, or was it just me? You probably had all this sussed out from the beginning, didn't you? You don't care, you never did. You simply needed some help here and then as soon as your _pawn_ messes up, steps one foot out of line, that's it! Because that's all I ever was to you, wasn't I? A pawn. A _tool_!'

'You are wrong.'

'Oh, _am_ I? But it's true! It doesn't matter that I saved you from Yoshimitsu, does it? It doesn't matter that he's dead thanks to me? No, none of this matters to you. You're so wrapped up in what you think your precious Master thinks of you that you thanked me by trying to kill me. All because of a stupid piece of _metal_!'

She gazed at him. 'What did he _do_ to you, Voldo? What did he do to make you like this? You're his puppet, blindly following his orders. Anyone can see that. Did he ever truly give a damn about what you thought?!'

'It does not concern you how Master Vercci saw me,' Voldo replied coldly, 'why do you _care_ so much, _Tira_?'

'Why do I –?'

The words were out before she could stop them.

'Because I _love you_!'

Voldo froze, and Tira herself could not believe she had actually said it out loud. It seemed so much more real now.

'You… you stupid freak, I… love you,' she continued, almost inaudibly, 'I care for you – probably more than Vercci ever did.'

She glared at him. 'It's just a shame that you won't _ever_ be able to understand that.'

Before she knew it she had picked up Eiserne and was heading towards the forest. It was her turn to walk away now, and it hurt her just that little bit more to realise that Voldo hadn't said anything to try and stop her. She didn't bother wiping away her tears; it was time to let them fall for once.

* * *

><p>Aaaand Tira's finally told Voldo what she thinks, letting out her own emotions in the process. But boy, has she got a lot to learn. This next (and probably final) chapter will be fun to write, indeed...<p>

As always, reviews (and constructive criticism) welcomed hugely.


	21. Concealment

OK, so I know I said that this would be the final chapter, well, turns out I lied. There is still one more after this, though it will serve as a kind of epilogue. ;D Enjoy, folks!

* * *

><p>The sun was setting over the horizon, and Tira watched it with fascination. How <em>pretty <em>the colours were… how beautiful was the sight of the birds soaring about in the flame-coloured sky, so happy, so… _free_.

Unlike Tira.

_You're not a bird, Tira. You never were._

She didn't bother arguing. She knew that now.

She leaned her head back against the tree she was sitting against, closing her eyes and listening to the sounds of the forest around her. She didn't want to think anymore, not now when she knew who Voldo really cared about.

She opened her eyes and picked up the nearest pebble, flinging it irritably as far as it would go. If she hadn't let herself be affected by the stupid, irritating feeling that was _love_, none of this would have ever happened. She would have escaped a long time ago without any regret at all. She would have gotten on with what _she _wanted to do, gone where _she_ wanted to go, killed who _she_ wanted to kill.

She fiddled with her hair, staring straight ahead. Was there a chance that Voldo loved her back?

She discarded that thought as soon as it crossed her mind. He only cared for Vercci, remember? She served as his ally – and only when it suited him.

_All this time you've been in denial. Why didn't you just listen to me from the start?_

Tira didn't bother keeping her voice down. 'Maybe I didn't want to. I didn't want to believe all the lies.'

_Oh, so they're lies, now, are they? Lies, is it, that he doesn't value you at all? Lies, that he only kept you around to serve his godforsaken master alongside him? Lies, that he never loved you, despite all the delusion that made you think otherwise?_

'…I hoped they would be.'

_Why hide from the truth? From me? Have I ever let you down? No... it was me who stuck by your side your whole life. We don't need anyone but each other._

'Speak for yourself! You might not need anyone, but as for me... I need Voldo. I _want_ Voldo.'

_Ah, but you see, he doesn't want you back. Not like that. He never has. He never will._

'What do _you_ know? It's like you exist only to irritate me! To tell me what I can and can't do all the time!'

_Yes, because you're just incapable of thinking for yourself! You always end up in a mess! Just like now!_

'If you think I'm such a failure then go! Leave! Why are you still here?'

_Because you need me. You're useless without me to guide you._

She stood up, infuriated. 'I don't _want _you to guide me.'

'Who are you talking to?'

Tira spun round, startled.

'Uh – I was just – um –'

Voldo walked forwards slowly, out from the shadows of the trees. The sun had gone down completely by now, and in its place the moon shone, clear, full and bright. It dimly illuminated Voldo's face, making him seen paler than usual, and his eyes – as well as his katars – reflected the ghostly light.

'Perhaps... perhaps I am not the only one who... hears voices.'

Tira looked at the ground guiltily. 'I'm sorry... for what I said earlier...'

'Which part? The part about me using you? The part about me being merely Master Vercci's puppet? The part about me not caring for anyone but him?'

'All of it,' she whispered.

Voldo's sightless eyes pierced her. 'You did not give me a chance to speak earlier. If you had... you would have realised just how wrong you were.'

Tira frowned. 'Wrong about what?'

'Everything.'

His clipped response made her flinch, and he carried on, his tone somewhat impassive. 'I did not use you. And the decision I made to kill you was... not an easy one.'

'But you still tried to go through with it!'

'I thought it was what Master would have wanted. In his eyes the price for theft was always death... or, at least, it was when he was alive… and has been ever since.'

'So... what you're saying is... if Vercci hadn't ordered it, you wouldn't have tried to kill me?'

'That is correct.'

Tira raised an eyebrow. 'How do I know that you weren't keeping me alive just for convenience?! To have some help protecting this place?'

'Because I have been here for years and not one intruder has escaped alive – what difference would you have made? It was help, yes, but nothing I could not have done alone.'

She eyed him. 'So if you had no use of me… then why not kill me as soon as you met me?'

'Master Vercci asked that same question.'

'He... he did...?'

Voldo began to pace. 'He suspects I... harbour feelings for you...'

Tira's eyes widened. 'And... do you...?'

Voldo paused. 'I... I would be lying if I said I did not.'

She stared at him. Was she really hearing this…?

'Is that what you told him...?'

'Something like that, yes.'

'But... but what did he say?! Wasn't he angry?'

'If he was, he would not have interfered. He sees everything, and he told me… he said it was my decision alone. That I should do what makes me happy.'

Tira gazed at him, stunned. She was still not quite able to believe that Vercci appeared to _own_ Voldo wholly, even in death, to the point where he could not love someone else without his master's permission.

'And… what makes you happy, Voldo?'

'I think we both know the answer to that.'

Tira was silent for a while, hardly daring to believe her ears. She had been wrong after all…

'Wait,' she said suddenly, 'you didn't answer my question. Why didn't you kill me as soon as I arrived? We both know you could have. And when I ate the fruit – it was poisonous – why did you help me? You've had so many chances to let me die… why didn't you?'

'You were... different. You did not want the treasure. I sensed… something else. Similarities… and rare ones, too.'

Tira was certain now. The two of them were indeed the same. They always had been.

_But… I'd rather be crazy and – and _interesting,_ than, well, _normal_ and… and _boring_… at least you and I… we're special, right?_

She stepped closer to him, until her face was inches away from his.

'Why didn't you tell me?' she whispered, 'about… how you felt…?'

'Why do you think?' he murmured, 'I was afraid. What if you did not like what you heard?'

'Afraid of what I'd say… or _him_…?'

Voldo was silent.

_Do something useful for once, Tira. Tell him what he needs to know._

Tira sat down on the ground, pulling him down with her, and placed her hand tentatively on his shoulder.

'Listen to me. If you want to be happy… you need to… you've gotta stop treading so _carefully_ around Vercci. He wants you to be happy, you hear that? That what he _wants_. And if you're going to honour his wishes and do as he says, you have to do just that. Think about yourself a little more. And if he sees everything, like you said, then he's watching me say this to you, now. If he had a problem with it, he'd stop me. But… it doesn't look like he is. What does that tell you?'

Voldo had grown very still, and Tira carried on.

'I know you'll always serve him… but you can't be scared of – of devoting yourself to someone else, too. Otherwise you… you won't _live_. And if Vercci cares for you, he'll give you the freedom that you deserve.'

Voldo's eyes glittered, and Tira took a moment to gaze into them before pulling him close for a kiss, somewhat glad that he did not try and push her away this time. She heard him drop his weapons, listening to the dull _thud_ they made as they hit the ground, and he slowly placed his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

He was the first to pull away, and he brought a hand up to lightly touch her jaw. Tira inhaled sharply at the contact, her heartbeat beginning to quicken as his fingers began to travel lower, tracing a line down her neck, over her collarbone, brushing the swell of her breasts and gliding smoothly down her stomach until his hand came to rest upon her hip.

She suddenly craved his touch, realising how little of it she had received recently and how much she missed it. She wanted to put things right between them, and she had not been surer of anything in a while. If this was to be the first step, then so be it.

'Lower,' she found herself whispering.

And he obeyed.

The touches became more frequent, more urgent, more _desperate_, and soon Tira cared about nothing other than the man above her, the complicated, layered yet empathetic kindred spirit.

They were each other's outlets, and tonight every word unable to be spoken and every hidden emotion would be unveiled. There were no more secrets now.

* * *

><p>I'm kinda sad that I have to properly wrap this up now. One more chapter to go, and I'm already starting to miss writing this.<p>

Reviews welcomed, as per usual. :3


	22. Epilogue

Here it is, people, the final (and very short) chapter. All my ramblings are at the bottom, enjoy!

* * *

><p>It was early in the morning. The summer was beginning to leave, and though it was still warm, the heat was no longer unbearable. The sky often clouded over, now, and it was only a matter of time before it started to rain and the autumn set in.<p>

Tira ducked out of the way of the oncoming swipe to her face and swung Eiserne effortlessly, aiming for Voldo's chest. He quickly parried the blow, knocking Tira off balance, before pushing her forcefully backwards onto the sand. She brought Eiserne up to block Voldo's attack as he launched himself towards her, throwing him off of her, before standing up and backing away a few paces, ready to strike again.

She ran at him, grinning, and attempted to trip him up, but Voldo seemed to know this was coming and stepped to the side, launching her up into the air with his counter attack. Tira somersaulted quickly, positioning herself into a dive when she came back down, aiming to land on top of him. Though he raised his weapons in defence, she succeeded in knocking him over and seated herself atop his chest, ready to deliver another blow. He knocked her off balance, however, and rolled them over so that he was on top, his katar inches from her throat.

'You win,' she said from underneath him, batting away his weapon. He got up off of her, a smirk playing about his lips.

'You appear to be losing your touch,' he teased.

'Oh, we both know I _let_ you beat me that time,' she replied, getting up and dusting herself off.

'Mm, of course…'

She giggled a little. 'So, are we ready to go?' she asked excitedly, picking sand out of her hair.

'It seems so,' came the reply.

'I did, you know, set the traps correctly and everything, right?'

'Yes, I checked. They were fine.'

Tira nodded, picking up Eiserne.

'It feels kind of… weird, leaving here. I mean, I know we'll be back, but we don't know when that'll be… after being here for over a year, I'm gonna miss it in a way.'

'But perhaps travelling back to mainland Europe will be… _refreshing_. At the very least, I think… we shall be one step closer to finding Soul Edge.'

Tira looked at him as they walked along the beach towards the ship in the distance.

'Are we going to visit Palermo?' she asked suddenly.

'Perhaps. Why do you ask?'

'Well, you're from there, right? So… I want to see it. I bet it's much nicer than _Germany_, ugh…'

'Why do you dislike Germany so much?'

'It's _boring_. Out of all the countries I could have been from, why Germany?!'

'I used to think the same thing years ago. _Why Italy_… it is strange, is it not? How we are never satisfied with what we have… we all desire more…'

His tone grew softer. 'We never truly appreciate what we have until it is taken from us… if Germany were to no longer exist, you would miss it. I have no doubt about that.'

'But… Palermo is still there, right?'

'It has probably been rebuilt. When the war broke out they left it in ruins. Of course, I was no longer living there at the time, yet still…'

He went quiet, seemingly lost in thought, but Tira said nothing, pondering his words.

oOo

'We're moving, aren't we?'

'How does it feel?'

'Weird… I've never steered a ship before.'

Tira kept her eyes focused on the ocean before her, feeling her hair dance in the breeze and Voldo's hands guiding hers on the ship's helm.

'It gives you a sense of… freedom, does it not?'

'Yeah…'

_Freedom._

She had it now, even if it was just for a while. They both did. Tira knew she'd return, yes, but that was to be expected. Birds often returned to the same place, didn't they? But they also spread their wings and saw the world, just as she was doing now.

_You know all that stuff I said about you being useless? I didn't really mean it._

I know. But you were right, though, at the time. I did screw things up.

_Yeah, but you fixed it. I'm sorry I said you weren't anything without me. All we need is each other, right?_

And Voldo.

_And Voldo… you've proved yourself, you know. You _are_ a bird, regardless of what I said._

You think so?

_I know so._

Tira smiled. For that, she was content.

* * *

><p>...yeah, short epilogue is short. But then, it <em>is <em>an epilogue. ^^ Ah, Tira and Voldo off to hunt Soul Edge and kick ass together. I thought it was about time they left the island. :D

**What can I say, I'm gonna miss writing this thing. A MASSIVE thank you to all my reviewers and watchers, particularly those who have reviewed every chapter! I couldn't have done this without you all, and you've inspired me to keep writing no matter what. *hugs you all tightly* thank you for being such awesome readers!**

(Note: to anyone who's interested in the next fic that I've kept banging on about, there is still loads of planning to do, but hopefully I'll be posting the first chapter by the end of August, or September at the latest. It's called 'Of Sin and Servitude', and the chances are I'll be writing a few more stories at the same time, as OSAS is going to be loooooooong and, at times, probably frustrating to write. XD But anyway, watch this space!)

**Once again, thank you all so much, you wonderful people! You've stuck it out for over a year with me and this story and for that I cannot thank you enough. Until next time, people!**

**~Zoë x**


End file.
